Sisters of Arendelle: Greener Battlefields
by DR Lafrance
Summary: Second in my Sisters of Arendelle series. Arendelle and Berk must join forces to stop the tyrannical plans of Dagur the Deranged. But will the simpler viking life lure Elsa and Anna into giving up their royal heritage in favor of joining the Hooligan tribe? (Takes place before HTTYD2)
1. Chapter 1

Sisters of Arendelle:

Greener Battlefields

Prologue

The Alderan trade convoy sailed smoothly through the North Sea, en route to Arendelle. They had been at sea for 2 weeks now, stopping at various ports and kingdoms along their way. And, thankfully, they'd seen no sign of the pirate fleets that were rumored to be in the area. Still, the captains were prepared, having armed their ships before leaving their last port of call. Just the same, they hoped that they wouldn't need them.

It was early evening. Each ship had a man in the crow's nest high on the main mast, watching the horizon for anything that could be a threat. With 15 pairs of eyes covering the fleet, the captains were confident that they'd have no problems tonight. How wrong they were.

"LAND HO! 2 O'CLOCK!" a watchman called out.

The captain ran from his cabin to the bow. With spyglass in hand, he searched the horizon. Sure enough, silhouetted against the sunset, was a large mass that appeared to be an island. But something wasn't right here. He went back to his cabin and looked over his charts. Odd. There weren't any islands listed on his charts for this region. Going back out on deck, he rechecked their position. Nope. They were where they were supposed to be. So what was he seeing? He studied the mass further through the spyglass. He noticed that the mass seemed to be getting bigger. Then he caught a momentary glimpse of something that made his blood run cold. He dropped the spyglass and screamed.

"PIRATES!"

His first mate picked up the spyglass and looked himself. "NO CAPTAIN! It's worse than that!"

"VIKINGS!"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1

It had been two months since the Battle of Arendelle, the day the Duke of Weselton attacked Arendelle with a stolen naval force. But if one looked around Arendelle today, they wouldn't know it. All damage had been skillfully repaired. And throughout the kingdom, life had returned to normal. Queen Elsa had even instituted a new open gate policy, allowing the townspeople to mingle with the royals openly within the courtyard walls. This allowed Elsa to keep informed of the concerns of her subjects. And this policy had been a great success.

The courtyard was buzzing with activity. All around townspeople and royals talked, sharing stories, ideas and concerns. Princess Anna sat on a grass patch with a group of children, using her powers to create any fire sprite they asked for. With each new sprite the children cheered with delight. But none of the children enjoyed the time as much as Anna. She loved kids. As did Olaf, who was busy chasing butterflies with 3 toddlers. Elsa was sitting on a bench, engaged in pleasant conversation with the parents of the children Anna and Olaf were playing with. And like her sister, she couldn't have been happier. All seemed perfect in Arendelle.

As Elsa chatted with the parents, she noted that much of the conversation stemmed around an apparent shortage of supplies in local stores. With winter on its way, such a shortage could become a very serious issue for the kingdom but she assured the parents that she would look into it personally. There was no way she'd allow her people to suffer needlessly. Grateful for her assurances, the parents thanked Elsa for her time, gathered up their children and made their way out.

"I just love days like this." Anna said to Elsa, a big smile on her face.

"Me too." Elsa replied. "You certainly have a way with children. You'll make a great mother one day."

"Thanks. I hope you're right."

Elsa's eyes lit up. "Anna! You're not..."

"Oh Gosh No!" Anna replied, "But Kristoff and I have been discussing the idea. After we're married of course."

"Speaking of which," Elsa inquired, "You've been engaged for a month now. Have you two set any plans yet?"

But Anna didn't get to respond.

"Forgive my intrusion, your majesty," Kristoff announced, bowing as he approached, "but I must speak with you."

Elsa knew by Kristoffs tone that, whatever the problem, it had to be big for him to follow protocol so strictly. "Of course, Director. What's the problem?"

"The trade convoy from Aldera just arrived," he stated, "Or, more accurately, what's left of it."

Elsa's demeanor became serious. "Please explain."

Kristoff obeyed her order. "One Alderan ship came in about an hour ago, heavily damaged. The remaining crew report that the convoy was attacked and the crews slaughtered by a massive fleet of viking ships. This one ship managed to escape, but only just so."

Elsa and Anna stood shocked. They had never met a viking, despite Anna having made a trade contract with one viking colony. But they had heard stories of the vikings brutality in battle. Stories that were the stuff of nightmares.

Kristoff continued. "I've also been going over the incoming ship register. This week 5 other trade ships have failed to arrive as expected."

"Why was I not informed of this earlier?" Elsa snapped.

Kristoff bowed his head. "Forgive me, your majesty. But I had no explanation. I did not wish to report to you until I had all the facts."

Elsa calmed down. "Of course, Kristoff. You made the right choice. Sorry about snapping at you."

Kristoff smiled. "No harm done."

"We can't just let the vikings steal everything that floats!" Anna said aggressively. "We have to put a stop to this!"

Kristoff put his hand on Annas shoulder, "Easy there, Feistypants! We don't know anything about them. We can't just go charging into the north sea blindly."

"Kristoff's right, Anna." Elsa noted. "We need to know everything we can find out about who is attacking the convoys before we can do anything about it. Anna. Don't you have a contact with the viking colony on Berk?"

Anna perked up. "That's right! Trader Johann goes up there all the time!"

Kristoff piped, "He's in port now!"

"Then the pier is where we need to be right now!" Elsa commanded. With that, the three of them took off running.

They arrived at the pier just in time. Trader Johann was preparing to get underway when Kristoff hollered "JOHANN! HOLD ON A MOMENT!". Trader Johann resecured his mooring lines and climbed back onto the pier.

"Ah! Princess Anna! Such an honor to be in your presence again." He chimed, kissing her hand.

"And this must be Queen Elsa!" he continued, also kissing her hand, "The princess has told me of your beauty, but she clearly has a gift for understatement."

Elsa blushed.

"Director!" he asked, "How may I be of service?"

Anna answered for him. "I need you to take this message to the Hooligan Tribe. It's a royal request from the Queen of Arendelle for any information they may have regarding the viking attacks on trade ships in the north sea. We're hoping the Hooligans aren't involved."

"Oh! I can assure you they ain't a part of that nastiness!" he stated. "But even with such information, what could a peaceful kingdom like Arendelle do?"

Kristoff had that answer. "Lets just say we have some very...COOL...FIRE...POWER!"

Kristoffs quip made Elsa and Anna snicker, but went over Johanns head.

"It would be my pleasure to carry out this task for you,Princess." He stated. "I'm heading to Berk now and should be there in a few days."

"Thank you, Johann." Elsa replied. "Arendelle is indebted to you."

"Think nothing of it, your majesty." He smiled. Hoping back onto his tiny ship, he cast off the lines and sailed off.

"Will he make it to Berk in that tiny boat?" Elsa asked Kristoff.

"Really. I have bathtub toys bigger than that." Anna added

Kristoff laughed. "Johann is a skilled sailor. He's had that same boat for 20 years and it's never failed him. He'll not only make it, but I'm sure he'll be back with all the information we need."

Elsa silently prayed he was right.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2

4 days had passed since Trader Johann had left Arendelle with a royal message for Berk. And each day Elsa watched the port for Johanns tiny ship. The situation with supplies in Arendelle was becoming serious. There was no shortage of fish and meat. But many other commodities that the townspeople depended on were running low. In the palace courtroom, Elsa, Anna and Kristoff worked hard to find other sources but it was clear there was only one solution. To free the trade route of these viking pirates.

"AARGH!" Elsa yelled, "This is so aggravating! I never realized just how much Arendelle depended on outside trade."

Anna agreed. "I know. Even our diamond supply is no help if the goods can't get to us. It almost looks like this is all some sort of plot against Arendelle."

"You don't think Weselton's part of this, do you?" Kristoff mentioned.

"No chance of that," Elsa replied. "King Gregor values our new trade contract too much to risk losing it like this."

Anna commented, "We've been beating on this for 5 hours now. Maybe we need to walk away from this for a while. Clear our heads."

"That's a great idea." Elsa replied. "I could use some fresh air. My head is killing me."

With all in agreement, Elsa, Anna and Kristoff went out to the courtyard for a break.

Even though fall was on its way, the day was still warm and comfortable. The sky was clear and the sun shone brightly. Elsa sat on a bench, eyes closed, enjoying the suns warmth on her face. Anna sat in the grass, cuddled up to Kristoff, snoring. Kristoff just sat, looking out over the beauty of the courtyard. It was hard to believe there was so much trouble in Arendelle when looking at such a sight.

Reality came crashing back in.

"MONSTERS!" someone screamed. Instantly Elsa, Anna and Kristoff were on their feet, looking for..."What are we looking for?" Kristoff exclaimed.

"THERE!" Elsa called out, pointing to the sky. Sure enough, there were 5 frighteningly unusual creatures flying high above, and circling down towards them. Elsa and Anna braced themselves, ready to defend against whatever these creatures were.

"Anna, don't fire till I say so, but be ready. Just because they haven't attacked yet doesn't necessarily mean they won't." Anna nodded in reply. The 5 winged beasts circled around before passing over the courtyard wall and, one by one, touching down just in front of the queen and princess.

They were the oddest creatures Elsa and Anna had ever seen. One was completely black, resembling something straight out of a nightmare. Another looked like a giant, spike covered chicken. Another was green with 2 heads. The next one looked like a big pile of boulders with wings. And the last defied description, other than to say it was red. But one point that they all had in common stood out the most. There were people on their backs.

Anna and Elsa pointed their open palms toward the beasts, angry but determined looks on their faces. Kristoff could only stand to one side and watch as his fiancé went eye to eye with whatever these things were.

"Well. This is a warm welcome." One of the riders quipped sarcastically.

The rider of the black beast jumped down, removed his helmet and cautiously walked towards Elsa. She raised her hands in response, yelling "IDENTIFY YOURSELF!"

"My name is Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, leader of the Dragon Riders of Berk! We come in peace!"

"BERK!?" Anna exclaimed, "Then you are Berks reply to Arendelles message?"

A second rider walked over, this one female. "That's right! I'm Astrid. We figured if you were going to try and fight vikings, then you'd need all the help you could get."

Elsa and Anna looked to each other, then lowered their hands.

"I am Queen Elsa of Arendelle, and this is my sister Princess Anna. Allow me to apologize for our rather poor response to your arrival. We've never seen such creatures before."

"No problem," Hiccup replied. "Happens all the time." He waved his hand and the remaining riders came over.

"You've met Astrid. This is Fishlegs, the twins Ruffnutt and Tuffnutt and.."

"And I am Snotlout the Great! Your grace." Snotlout proclaimed, kissing Elsas hand.

"Um...A pleasure." Elsa nervously replied.

Hiccup and Astrid gave a frustrated groan. Then Astrid grabbed Snotlouts shoulder and forcefully pulled him away from the queen.

Anna whispered to Elsa. "What have I gotten us into? These people are NUTS!"

"Manners, Anna." Elsa whispered back. "They're simply an unusual people."

"OH, WOW! WHAT ARE THESE?!"

Everyone's attention turned to the snowman running across the courtyard towards them.

"Perfect timing as usual, Olaf." Elsa smiled. "These are the Dragon Riders of Berk. Hiccup, this is Olaf, our royal advisor." Olaf shook Hiccups hand.

Astrid whispered to Fishlegs, "Their royal advisor is a snowman?"

"They are an unusual people." Fishlegs whispered back.

Anna waved Kristoff over. "And this is our Royal Commodities Director Kristoff. Anything to do with trade in Arendelle, he's the man to see. Kristoff, this is Hiccup. Leader of the Dragon Riders." Kristoff shook Hiccups hand firmly.

"Pleasure to meet you, sir." He said pleasantly.

"Please, Director. Just Hiccup will be fine." Hiccup asked. Kristoff nodded.

"Well, "Elsa announced, "Now that the introductions are complete, may I offer you and your people some lunch?"

Hiccup smiled brightly. "That would be great. Could we trouble you for some fish for our dragons as well?"

Elsa waved her hand and an attendant appeared from seemingly out of nowhere. "See that our new friends' dragons are fed and watered." She turned to Hiccup. "Will one bushel of fish each be enough?"

"More than enough, your majesty." He replied happily.

As the nervous attendant left to fulfill the queens orders, Anna asked Astrid, "Your dragons won't eat our attendant, will they?"

Astrid giggled, "No. They don't bite the hand that feeds them. Usually."

Anna cringed nervously.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3

The palace itself was a new experience for Hiccup and his team of riders. They had seen large buildings before, but nothing like this. This place made their Dragon Academy look like a one room shack. Fishlegs was awestruck by the ornate designs. Snotlout couldn't help but stop to admire himself in EVERY mirror he passed. The twins were enthralled with how shiny everything was. And Hiccup and Astrid held their composure well as they followed Elsa, Anna and Kristoff to the dining hall.

"Your majesty," Hiccup said to Elsa, "This is truly an impressive home you have."

"Yah! You could put all of Berk AND the dragons in here." Ruff stated. "But how do you keep it so...clean?"

Elsa grinned. "We have staff that maintain the palace constantly."

Tuff responded, "You mean you have people that do EVERYTHING for you?" Hiccup glared at him.

Anna took that one. "It's kinda part of being royalty. Our job is to take care of Arendelles big problems. Others take care of the smaller jobs so that we can focus our attention on the needs of our people."

"Well said, Anna." Elsa stated.

Tuff grumbled. "Wish I could be royal."

"I'm sure it's a lot harder that they make it appear, Tuff." Hiccup said, looking to Elsa.

Elsa followed his lead. "It can be rather troublesome at times, like now. These tradeship attacks are playing havoc with our winter supply levels and all Arendelle is looking to us for a solution."

"Never mind! That's too much responsibility for me." Tuff admitted.

At that moment, the serving staff began bringing in lunch. The Riders watched in amazement as well dressed waiters brought plates of food out and placed them before each person. Another went around filling wine and water. Then just as quickly as they appeared, the waiters were gone. Elsa, Anna and Kristoff looked at their guests puzzled expressions. Elsa leaned over to Hiccup and whispered, "Is something wrong?"

"I'm afraid we're at a loss," Hiccup replied, "as to how we're supposed to eat. No disrespect intended, but what are all these spoons and forks for?"

Elsa quietly asked Hiccup how they served meals on Berk. After a short discussion, she summoned a waiter and relayed a new plan to him. Immediately the wait staff replaced their plates with empty ones, their wine glasses with beer steins and removed all but one knife, fork and spoon each. They then brought out a platter heaping with fresh cooked meat. The riders faces lit up as the platter was placed on the table before them. Elsa motioned to them. "Please. Enjoy."

And the feeding frenzy began.

Anna and Kristoff were stunned. Kristoff leaned over to Anna and whispered, "Remember when I told you about the pack of wolves I once saw eating a deer?"

Anna nodded.

"It looked just like this!"

Elsa simply ate quietly and allowed her guests to be themselves. No matter how appalling it was to watch.

With lunch well and truly eaten, and the dishes removed, Hiccup asked,

"So, what can you tell us about these attacks that has you convinced vikings are involved?"

"Actually Kristoff could probably answer that better than I," she replied, "As Commodities Director, he was the first to receive such reports."

Kristoff told the riders everything he knew. At first they seemed rather indifferent to his report. But once he mentioned the massive fleet of viking ships, they suddenly appeared frightened.

"There's only one viking clan with that kind of fleet." Astrid said. "And if that's who's behind these attacks, then we're ALL in big trouble."

"Who do you think it is?" Anna asked.

Fishlegs replied fearfully. "BERSERKERS!"

"Um..Forgive me," Elsa stuttered. "What is a Berserker?"

Hiccup explained. "They're a vicious clan of vikings, led by Dagur the Deranged. A title that, I'm sorry to say, is not just a clever name."

Hiccup continued his story as Elsa, Anna and Kristoff listened in stunned silence for what seemed like forever.

"So, to sum it all up," Hiccup concluded, "there isn't a force in existence that can stand up to the Berserkers."

Kristoff commented, "These Berserkers haven't met the Sisters of Arendelle yet."

Elsa and Anna smiled slyly.

Astrid barked, "What? You mean the queen and princess?" she looked at Anna, "No offence, but neither of you look like you could even lift an axe, let alone take on Dagur. What could you poss..."

PAFF! A snowball hit Astrid squarely in the face.

"WHO DID THAT?!" Astrid screamed. Noticing the others with their mouths hanging open, she looked to Elsa and Anna and her own mouth fell open. The riders were awestruck as Elsa sat with a small snowstorm in her hand, while Anna was making a small flaming cyclone in her own.

"You've been kind enough to tell us your story," Anna said

Elsa finished," Perhaps it's time we told you ours."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4

The Dragon Riders of Berk, fearless warriors that rode into battle upon fierce winged reptiles that breathed fire, sat frozen and speechless before two beautiful young women. For a few moments they sat staring as small storms raged in the women's hands. Elsa and Anna smiled at each other, then snuffed out their storms. Elsa had their drinks refreshed, then began.

"First thing you should know, we are not demons or monsters. Though we both discovered our powers differently, we were both born with them. I grew up with my gift and it grew with me, but I had difficulty controlling it. When I was 8, I accidentally struck Anna in the head with my powers. Father knew someone who could save her, thankfully. But in order to keep her and Arendelle safe, father convinced me to hide away from everyone. So for 13 years I stayed hidden away in my room. Even after our parents were lost at sea, I never left."

She paused for a drink. Nobody moved.

"Then, on my coronation day, the sheep hit the wall so to speak. My powers became known, and I panicked. In my attempt to protect Arendelle by fleeing, I accidentally threw it into eternal winter. From that point the story gets rather personal, so I'll leave those details out. But in the end, my sister taught me that love was the key controlling my powers. Then I was able to end the winter I had unleashed."

"Wow!" Fishlegs blubbered. "That's so beautiful!"

"Really, Fishlegs?" Astrid commented dryly.

Then Elsa turned to Anna. "Your turn sis."

Anna sat up in her chair. "Well, here goes." She said pleasantly.

"I grew up normal. When Elsa struck me as a child, the person father took me to removed the magic from my mind. But what he didn't know was my powers are based in my heart. Pulling the magic from my mind just kept them from coming out. So for the next 13 years I was pretty much a normal girl without magic. When Elsa set off winter in Arendelle, I went after her. And long story short, Elsa lost control and struck me again. Because of that I slowly froze, eventually turning to solid ice."

"No Way!" Ruff gasped

Anna continued. "But it doesn't end there, obviously. The powers in my heart were released by being frozen, thawing me out. Now I had powers too; Fire magic. But I couldn't control them and risked destroying Arendelle if I couldn't learn fast. I ended up taking a potion to get control of my powers, but they had unpleasant side effects, making me very angry at everyone. I even almost killed my sister willingly."

"Wow! Fire powers AND angry?" Snotlout spouted, "You would have made a killer viking!"

Hiccup shushed him.

"The worst," Anna continued, "was what came later. Arendelle was attacked and Elsa and I had to team up. Not easy, given my condition. But in the middle of the battle, Elsa took an arrow to the chest. Thinking she was dying, my heart finally broke the spell and my full powers came out."

"What Anna left out," Elsa added, "was that, after I was taken to hospital, she completely let loose on the enemy and destroyed 200 enemy warships by all herself."

The Riders were stunned. These sweet looking elegant ladies had the ability to obliterate entire armies with a thought.

Tuff spoke up. "You got SHOT?!"

Ruff followed. "Did you get a scar?"

Tuff added. "Can I see it?"

Hiccup yelled. "GUYS, COME ON!", then turned to Elsa. "I'm really sorry about that. Scars are like a badge of honor to vikings. But that's no reason to be rude."

With that Elsa surprised everyone by pulling down the front of her dress JUST ENOUGH to reveal the scar from her surgery.

All the Riders piped "WHOA!"

"That's like 6 inches!" Fishlegs crowed

"You're my new hero!" Ruff exclaimed

Elsa blushed and pulled her dress back up.

Hiccup then asked, "Clearly you both are very powerful. So I have to ask. What do you need us for?"

A good question. But Anna had a good answer.

"It's true we could eliminate any threat that faces us. But that's not how we work. We refuse to use our powers to take life. Even if it would be easier, it's not our way."

"Killing what threatens you is more fun." Snotlout snorted.

Kristoff spoke up. "If Queen Elsa thought that, you would have been an ice sculpture before you could land."

Astrid busted out laughing. Snotlout just crossed his arms and grumbled.

"Quite simply, Hiccup," Elsa said, "We have the firepower, you have the knowledge of the enemy. Is there a way we can work together to defeat a common foe and make the North Sea safe for trade and travel again?"

Hiccup looked at Elsa and Anna. Then he stood and bowed.

"My ladies, the Dragon Riders of Berk are at your service."

The Riders howled cheered in agreement. Elsa and Anna smiled brightly. Even Kristoff was cheering and applauding. Elsa summoned a waiter and had him bring another round of ales, including one for Kristoff, Anna and herself. With everyone served, Astrid stood, held her mug high, and spoke.

"Here's to the combined forces of The Dragon Riders of Berk and The Sisters of Arendelle. Odin help anyone who stands against us!"

Everyone cheered and drank. And Elsa and Anna tasted ale for the first time.

That didn't go well.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5

Lunch with the Riders had been an enlightening experience. Both sides had learned much about each other. And Anna and Elsa had learned that ale is no friend to them. The taste stuck in their mouths and even the wine that they followed it with couldn't wash it away. Unfortunately their efforts to clean their taste buds had led to both of them becoming a little tipsy. Actually, tipsy would be a huge understatement. To prevent a potentially embarrassing situation, Kristoff had the sisters brought to their rooms to sleep off the effects while he made arrangements for the Riders accommodations.

"I'm grateful for your understanding, Hiccup," Kristoff said, "They don't normally drink, let alone that much."

"No problem." Hiccup smiled, "The first time I drank ale I spent the night begging for Odins forgiveness. They'll be fine after some rest."

Astrid added joyfully, "And thank you Director for these amazing accommodations!"

Kristoff looked around. It was the stables, but it had room for them and their dragons. If they were happy here, then so be it.

"I'm glad you're happy here. Feel free to explore the village at your leisure. Anything you need is yours for the asking. Just try to keep in mind that most of the villagers have never seen vikings, and for those that have, it wasn't a pleasant experience."

"Well then." Hiccup replied smiling, "We'll just have to make sure we give everyone a good first impression. Right guys!?"

The Riders cheered out in agreement.

Kristoff dismissed himself. But as he left, he questioned whether it was a good idea to set a group of vikings free in Arendelle. In doing so, he had shown them trust. He could only hope his trust wasn't misplaced.

Thankfully it wasn't.

The morning sun shone brightly through Elsas bedroom window. But for Elsa, it was NOT a good morning. She had no clue how she wound up in her bed or what time it was. She remembered she had been drinking with the Riders and...

"OH MY GOSH!" she yelled, followed by "OOOW!". Had she made a fool of herself in front of Arendelles newest allies? What must they think of her? The only honorable thing to do now was to get up and face the music. And Elsa paid dearly for every step from her bed to the door. Opening the door, the hinges squeaked. A familiar sound came from across the hall.

"OOOWW!"

Elsa propped herself against the door frame and looked across the hall. Anna was also propped against her door frame, looking just as bad as she felt. Both girls winced in pain as Gerda came walking down the hall, each step sounding like a hammer striking an anvil to them. She handed each of them a small bottle.

"A gift from Master Hiccup," She said, trying not to giggle, "He claims it will help you recover from yesterday's festivities. An old viking remedy." She then turned and walked away, 'accidentally' kicking over a brass vase in the process.

"GERDA, YOU'RE CRUEL!" Anna yelled. Gerda chuckled as she rounded the corner.

Elsa and Anna looked at each other, then the bottles.

"What do you think, Anna?" Elsa asked

"The last time I drank from an unknown bottle," she replied, "it didn't go well for me. But then again, it did come from Hiccup and I don't think we can possibly feel any worse."

With that, both girls disappeared back into their rooms. To take their medicine.

An hour later, Anna knocked on Elsa door, "Are you still alive, Elsa?" Elsa opened her eyes. To her surprise her headache was gone and she felt a hundred times better. She sat up on the bed and replied, "Come in, Anna. I'm still here."

Anna entered, looking much better than she did an hour ago. "Do you feel as good as I do now? That stuff Hiccup gave us is amazing!" Elsa couldn't disagree, but she still couldn't smile. Anna picked up on it.

"What's wrong, Elsa?" she asked

Elsa answered, "Do you realize what we did yesterday?"

Anna thought for a moment. "I can't remember...OOH! You don't think we..."

"Embarrassed ourselves? Disgraced our family honor?" Elsa stated.

Anna put her hands to her face. She knew precisely what Elsa was referring to. Even though neither of them could remember yesterday's events, they were both quite sure their behavior was FAR from distinguished. And in front of new allies to boot.

"There's only one way to fix this, Anna." Elsa said, "We have to apologize to them. Personally.".


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 6

It was a rather long walk to the palace stables, where the Dragon Riders of Berk had called home last night. Anna had questioned Kristoffs choice for their accommodations, but Kristoff assured her that they were more than happy there. The walk gave Elsa time to think of the words she would use to express hers and Annas apologies for the undignified behavior they had displayed yesterday, and she silently prayed that they hadn't done too much damage to their new alliance. With heads held high, and dressed as though they were attending a meeting with upper class royal officials, they approached the stables. Kristoff opened the door and announced their arrival.

As Elsa and Anna entered, they found themselves caught off guard by what they saw. Hiccup was making adjustments to his dragons harness. Astrid was lounged out on a haystack, tossing fish to her dragon. Snotlout was bench-pressing a large iron bar while his dragon snored loudly. Fishlegs was giving his dragon a bath. And Ruffnut and Tuffnut were banging their heads together as their two headed dragon shook both its heads.

Astrid was the first to see them. "ELSA! ANNA!" she called out.

Suddenly all of the Riders eyes were on them. Anna leaned over to Elsa and whispered," Awkward."

Hiccup came over to them. "G'morning Elsa. Anna. Can I assume the licorice root blend helped?"

"Very much so, thank you." Elsa replied as regally as she could.

Hiccup could tell something was up, but he said nothing. Elsa confirmed his suspicions.

"My sister and I must apologize for our outlandish behavior yesterday. It was totally inappropriate of us, and we do hope we did nothing to jeopardize our alliance with you or your team."

A moment of awkward silence was suddenly followed by uproarious laughter from the Riders. Even Hiccup was unable to contain himself. Elsa and Anna could only stand there stunned, unsure of what was so funny. After a few moments Hiccup was finally able to compose himself.

"You don't remember much of yesterday, do you?"

"I'm afraid we don't." Anna replied.

Snotlout hollered, "OH YA! They are DEFINATELY Riders!"

"Ok. Now we're very confused." Elsa commented. Hiccup provided an explanation.

"Yesterday Arendelle and Berk forged an alliance. On Berk, such an alliance is celebrated with a LOT of drinking and revelry. Now, I don't know much about royalty, but I would assume you celebrate such things in a much different way. Correct?"

"That's correct." Elsa replied.

"What happened yesterday," Hiccup continued, "was that you saw how we do things. I know we can be rather brash and even vulgar, compared to a royal gathering. But despite that, the two of you didn't shy away. And not only did you stay, but you joined us in celebrating our way. I admit we didn't know what to expect of you when we arrived here. But by doing that, you proved your desire for this alliance. And by celebrating to the point of memory loss, you've earned our full respect. Hence why we've made yourself and Princess Anna Honorary Dragon Riders."

Elsa and Anna stood dumbfounded. They had come down to apologize for possibly damaging their alliance, only to find they had reinforced it with their very unroyal behavior. This was truly a strange group of people. And they were grateful for that.

Kristoff, however, just stood quietly by the door, smiling.

"I think it's time for a few more introductions." Hiccup called out. And as if on command, the Riders brought their dragons over.

"Queen Elsa, Princess Anna. Meet the core of the Riders."

Hiccup placed his hand on the black one." This is my dragon, Toothless. He's a Night Fury. The fastest dragon there is. And as far as we know, the only one of his kind."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Toothless." Elsa smiled. Toothless walked over and began licking her face. Elsa giggled.

"I guess I should have mentioned," Hiccup added, "dragons appreciate respect."

Elsa laughed. "So I see!" Hiccup waved Toothless away, then motioned to Astrid.

"This is Stormfly," she said, "She's a Deadly Nader. She may look like a spiky chicken, but don't be fooled. Naders fire burns hot as the sun and they can throw their poison tail spikes at will."

Anna stepped up cautiously. "H..Hi there." Stormfly took a step forward and nuzzled Annas chest.

"Hehe! She is rather sweet." Anna giggled.

"This is Meatlug." Fishlegs chimed. "She's a Gronckle. Gronckles are best known for their tough skin and great strength. They also have the ability to eat rocks and, instead of fire like other dragons, they spew molten lava."

Meatlug lumbered up to Elsa, tougne hanging out. Elsa pet her nose and she rolled over.

"Oh ya," Fishlegs added, "and they have a very sweet disposition."

Elsa couldn't disagree.

Snotlout stepped up. "This is Hookfang. He's a Monstrous Nightmare, the fiercest, toughest dragon of all. People fear them most for their ability to set themselves on fire at will."

Hookfang jumped towards Anna, snarled and set himself ablaze. Anna jumped back, startled.

"See? Pure terror." Snotlout touted.

Not to be outdone, Anna stepped towards Hookfang, let out a growl of her own, and set herself ablaze. "I can do that too."

"Now I know I like her!" Astrid commented.

Hookfangs eyes went wide as the once fearsome beast ran behind Snotlout and cowered. Snotlouts mouth just hung open.

"Anna!" Elsa stated, "Nobody likes a show-off."

Anna smiled, "Sorry.", and put her flames out.

"Now it's our turn!" Tuff piped, waving the 2 headed dragon over.

Ruff said, "And this is Barf and Belch. He's what we call a Zippleback."

"2 heads, twice the danger!" Tuff added.

One of the dragons' heads nuzzled up to both Anna and Elsa at the same time.

"They seem awfully sweet." Elsa said as Barf nuzzled her cheek.

"I think this head's purring." Anna stated.

Hiccup stepped forward.

"Now you've met all of us. Welcome, Queen Elsa and Princess Anna of Arendelle, the newest members of The Dragon Riders of Berk."

Riders and dragons alike roared and cheered!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 7

The mood in the stables was festive, as Elsa and Anna just found out that they had been made Honorary Dragon Riders. A very pleasant surprise, given they had come down to apologize for their behavior the day before. Vikings were clearly a unique culture. And Elsa and Anna were finding the viking ways surprisingly appealing. So engrossed in this cultural exchange were they that they nearly forgot why the Riders were there in the first place.

Until Fishlegs commented, "Um..Not that I want to be the party-pooper, but i think we may have lost sight of the reason we're here."

Elsa looked at him for a moment.

"Fishlegs is correct. We must get focused on the current purpose of our alliance. To free the North Sea from whatever force is terrorizing it."

"But how do we do that?' Tuff asked. "It's, like, out there."

"And we're, like, here." Ruff added.

Anna spoke up. "The twins are right. The only way we're going to have a chance against this force is to go find them."

"YEAH!" Snotlout hollered.

"Um..Guys," Hiccup commented, "It looks like Elsa's already working on a plan."

Sure enough, that's exactly what Elsa was doing. She paced slowly back and forth, her hand on her chin. Her father had taught her everything she'd need to know to rule Arendelle one day. She searched her memories for something that she could use now. So many years of lessons on diplomacy, ethics, etiquette, strategy...

"OF COURSE!" Elsa yelled out. "I know what we have to do!"

Fishlegs quipped, "We're all ears!".

Elsa explained her plan.

"This force that's pillaging the North Sea depends on surprise to overtake its targets. No-one knows just how many ships or men they have, or where they base, or even what they want. What do they look for when they choose a target? Where do they prefer to strike? These are things we need to know. And the only way we can find that info is to search for it ourselves."

"Which means sending out spies." Hiccup added

"I prefer scouts, but yes." Elsa replied

Fishlegs said, "I see where you're going here. The scouts patrol the North Sea, looking for a massive fleet of ships. Then report back whatever they find."

"Exactly!" Elsa confirmed.

Hiccup turned to the Riders. "Ok. Here's the plan. We'll ride out in different directions, covering as much ocean as we can. It'll be a 5 day patrol. If you see something, return to Arendelle immediately. If not, return to Arendelle in 5 days."

"And Anna and I will be going with you." Elsa added

Anna chimed, "OH YA!"

Hiccup tried to object. "Um..Your majesty, I don't think.."

"I know you disagree Hiccup," Elsa commanded, "And I appreciate your concern. But I'm not about to sit back and put others in harm's way while Anna and I hide here in Arendelle. Not when we have so much power to bring to the fight."

Hiccup tried to object again but Elsa cut him off, grinning.

"Also, as Queen of Arendelle, I'm not giving you a choice."

With that, Hiccup knew he wasn't going to win this argument. The Riders stifled giggles all around.

"Very well," Hiccup smiled, "Then may I suggest that Princess Anna ride with Astrid and you ride with me?"

"Is that acceptable, Astrid?" Elsa asked.

"Totally cool with me." Astrid grinned.

"Excuse me, your majesty," Kristoff came over, a concerned look on his face. "I think I know what's on your mind. May I just say that, as queen of Arendelle that technically your place is here in this situation."

"Not this time Kristoff." she smiled, "I need you to take care of Arendelle while we're gone. I also need you to send word to the Allied Kingdoms to meet here in 7 days. Inform them of our plan in full detail. We'll share everything we learn at that time."

"As you wish your majesty." He replied. As he walked away, Anna ran after him. Catching up, she wrapped her arms around him.

"Honey, please don't be upset. Elsa knows what she's doing." She told him.

"Look, Anna," he pleaded, "I just don't like the idea of the two of you running off into danger. Defending Arendelle at the gates is one thing. But going hunting for enemies when the kingdom is in crisis?"

"We're going to find the enemies that are the cause of Arendelles crisis." She replied. "With our powers we may even be able to stop them on sight. Isn't that chance worth a little risk?"

"Not for my fiancé, it isn't!"

That struck a nerve with Anna.

"Now you listen to me," she barked, "Yes, I am your fiancé and I don't plan on changing that. But there is one big thing you're gonna have to accept if we're going to make it work. Elsa and I are The Sisters of Arendelle. That means that ANYTHING that threatens Arendelle, wether it be here or out there somewhere, is our concern. And it's up to us to do something about it. That's what we believe is the purpose for us having our powers. This is our purpose, MY purpose, in life."

"So what are you saying?" he demanded, "That I'll always be second to Arendelle in your life?"

"You're marrying a princess with incredible powers." She replied sadly, "What did you expect?"

Kristoff bowed and left, saying nothing more. Anna wiped a tear from her cheek, then turned to the others.

"All right. Let's do this!"

"Um..No offence, but neither of you are dressed to fly." Astrid commented.

She had a good point. The formal dresses they were wearing now simply wouldn't do. Elsa and Anna looked at each other and smiled. "Time for that new trick." Elsa stated.

Both women stamped their foot to the ground. From around Elsas foot shimmering crystals rose, And from Annas came 3 small comet-like fireballs. The crystals and comet balls swirled around them. As they did, their apparel changed. When the crystals and comet balls finally dissipated, both women were now dressed in viking style outfits. Each was sporting fur boots; leather like pants; skirts similar to Astrids and sleeveless shirts. Both also had headbands bearing the royal crest of Arendelle. The only difference between both outfits were colors, with Elsas being more blue accented and Annas being more red.

"Will this do?" Anna asked?

It took a moment for anyone to answer. Tuffnut was first. "Can you teach me that trick?"

Anna chuckled, "That might be difficult."

Hiccup finally spoke. "Ok. Elsa, you're with me. Anna with Astrid. We'll fan out to cover as much ocean as we can. Report back here if you find something or in 5 days, whichever comes first. If you do find something, gather as much info as you can but avoid contact. ARE YOU READY?!"

"LETS DO IT!" cheered the group.

"MOUNT UP AND MOVE OUT!" Hiccup barked.

At that, the Riders, along with Elsa and Anna, climbed onto their dragons and flew off into the unknown. But as they left, Anna questioned if she had made the right choice in dismissing her fiancés concerns so quickly. She wished she hadn't left things the way she did. But now was not the time to worry about such things.

There were bigger worries ahead.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 8

The search was on. Somewhere out there was a fleet of ships that were wreaking havoc on the North Sea trade industry. And the Dragon Riders were going to find it. Each had gone off in his own direction, except Hiccup and Astrid. They had chosen to stay together owing to the VIP passengers that accompanied them. They certainly didn't want to report back to Arendelle without its queen and princess. Hiccup had objected to Elsa and Anna being part of this operation, but Elsa overruled him. Still he had to admit that they were taking to viking life surprisingly well, especially for royals.

Elsa had been holding tight to Hiccup at the start of the flight. Now that she was comfortable, she wasn't crushing him anymore. Instead she was watching the sea below for any signs of what they were looking for. Still, her mind wandered a little. She had noticed that they had left Arendelle with no provisions, except for a few canteens of water. They would be out for maybe 5 days. What were they supposed to eat? Hiccup had assured her that they knew what they were doing, so she resided herself to trusting him completely.

After being airborne all day, with the sun setting, the Riders guided their dragons down to a small island. Hiccup asked Elsa and Anna to stay with Toothless and Stormfly while he and Astrid hunted for dinner, which they had no problem with given they had no hunting skills.

"These certainly are amazing creatures, eh Anna?" Elsa commented, as she pat Toothless' head.

"Very." Anna replied happily as she scratched under Stormflys chin. "And to think, if not for this Dagur person, we'd probably have never met the Riders or their dragons."

Elsas smile faded. "Yeah."

Just then Astrid came back, with a few handfuls of plants. "I got the salad!"

Anna asked her, "Where's Hiccup? Still hunting?"

"Nope. He scored a wild pig 10 minutes after we left. He's cooking it up now."

"Wild PIG?" Anna questioned.

Elsa replied, "I'm sure it's no different than the pork chops or ham steaks chef makes for us."

Anna nodded in agreement. Astrid snickered.

"Who's hungry?!"Hiccup cheered. Anna and Elsas eyes lit up as Hiccup served out dinner.

Anna questioned, "What exactly is this?"

"Viking dinner out." Hiccup answered. "Fire roasted wild pork and my specialty, Woodland Tidbits."

Elsa eyed the serving. Appearance clearly didn't mean much with viking meals, but it would be an insult if she didn't at least try it. She tried a small piece of meat. It had a bit of a gamey taste but it was still edible.

"This isn't bad." She stated surprisedly, digging in.

Anna tried a meat strip, and also found it palatable. She started stuffing her face. Now everyone was eating their fill. All was going well until Elsa asked Hiccup, "Forgive me, but what exactly are Woodland Tidbits?"

But Astrid answered, "Forest insects."

"Yep. Whatever bugs we can find. Flame broiled." Hiccup added, popping something that now looked like a beetle in his mouth.

Elsa suddenly jumped up and ran into the woods. The sound she made clearly indicated that the bug meal concept did not sit well with her.

"Wow." Anna said. "Glad I stuck with the meat strips."

Hiccup and Astrid giggled.

"Um...these are meat strips, right?" Anna asked fearfully.

Astrid popped another in her mouth. "Roasted caterpillar"

Anna joined her sister in the woods.

Later in the evening, after Elsa and Annas stomachs had settled, the four sat around a campfire sharing stories. Elsa and Anna told Hiccup and Astrid of how life was growing up in Arendelle. Hiccup and Astrid shared tales of their lives on Berk. Both sides were enthralled by how different the others lives were.

"And yet here we are," Elsa stated, "people from two very different cultures working together toward a mutually beneficial goal."

Astrid commented, "I gotta admit, Elsa. When you made the call to come out here with us I didn't think either of you would last the day. I mean, royals in the wild? Sounds like a recipe for disaster, right?"

Elsa and Anna cast her dirty looks.

"But you two are really pulling it off. It's almost like you two are vikings in spirit. You just needed a chance to let it out. For what it's worth, I'm really impressed."

Hiccup added, "I'll second that." holding up his canteen.

"Thanks," Anna smiled, "and I have to admit this has been one heck of an adventure so far. You guys really know how to live life to the most."

"You only live once!" Astrid commented, "Might as well make the best of it while you can, right?"

Anna agreed. But Elsa remained silent, her face showing serious contemplation.

"Well," Hiccup said, "we gotta be up at first light. We still have a lot of ocean to cover. Probably a good time to call it a night."

"Agreed!" everyone replied. And with that, each found a comfy spot in the grass and hunkered down for the night.

But for Elsa and Anna, sleep didn't come easy. Anna was lost in the stars above. But Elsa was lost in thought.

"Look Elsa! The sky's awake!" Anna stated cheerfully.

Elsa mumbled indifferently. This caught Annas attention.

"You wanna talk about it?"

"About what, Anna?"

"About what's eating you? Besides that lizard."

Elsa jumped up, making Anna laugh. "Kidding!" she giggled

"Very funny Anna." Elsa growled. But it got her talking.

"Anna. Have you ever wondered what life could have been like if we weren't born into royalty?"

"Hmm. Interesting thought. I guess it would have been quite different. My powers would have come out normally, like yours. We'd probably still be hidden from everyone but at least we'd have been together. Why do you ask?"

"I was just thinking. Ever since I was little, Papa trained me to become queen one day. Everything was about preparing for the future. How to eat. How to speak. How to dress. Nothing was ever fun. I used to watch you and Mama playing in the garden. Oh how I wanted to be down there with you. But with Papa, it was always learn, learn, learn. If I asked to go out and play, he'd tell me playing was a waste of time, that I still had lots to learn if I was going to be queen. But..." she trailed off.

"But what?"

"But he never asked me if I even wanted to be queen."

Anna was taken aback by Elsa's statement.

"But you're the oldest." she stated. "It's automatically assumed that you would be next in line to rule."

"That's my point, Anna. Everyone assumes I'll just do what they think I'm supposed to. Be the good girl. I've only been truely free twice in my life. That day on the North Mountain, and now. I let go of that freedom the last time for the good of Arendelle, but it wasn't what I really wanted for myself." She paused a moment. "And now I'm thinking I won't let go of my freedom this time."

"WHOA ELSA! You mean advocate the throne? Renounce your royal birthright? What would you do? Where would you go?"

"Actually I was thinking of joining the Hooligan tribe. If they'll have me."

"You? A VIKING? Do you know how crazy that sounds?"

Elsa thought a moment. "Yes it does sound bizarre. But the truth is I like this lifestyle. This adventure has been total freedom for me. True I'd have a lot to adapt to, but I'm willing. Not because I have to, but because I WANT to."

Anna thought about what her sister said. "Ok. You make a good point. So who'll take over rule in Arendelle?"

"Logically you would. As my sister you're next to be queen."

"Um..That's not gonna happen." Anna stated.

"What do you mean, Anna?"

"If you're going viking, then so am I. We worked too hard to rebuild what was lost between us, and I'm not letting that go. And I have to admit, this life is a lot more fun than the royal life."

Elsa started to object, but Anna cut her off.

"Sorry Elsa. But we're a matched set. Where you go, I go." She held up her hand. "Fire and ice?"

Elsa smiled and Took Annas hand. "Fire and ice!"

Then Elsa added, "I haven't set my mind on this yet. So it's probably best if we don't tell anyone. Especially the Riders. I don't want them thinking they're somehow at fault for my, I mean, OUR decision."

Anna smiled. "Agreed. Now let's get some rest."

Anna cuddled up beside her sister, and both drifted off to sleep easily.

But their secret was already out. Astrid had had problems falling asleep as well. And had heard every word of Elsa and Annas conversation. Now, no matter how hard she tried, one though kept running through her mind...

'What have we done!?'


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 9

Astrid woke with a start. She had a hard time falling asleep last night, made worse by overhearing the Sisters conversation. It took some effort, but she had managed to finally fall asleep. Now as her eyes popped open, the morning sun was already well up. She hoped the Sisters were still asleep, so that she could warn Hiccup of what she had heard last night. But as she looked around, she saw that luck wasn't on her side today. Hiccup, Elsa and Anna were sitting around a fire having breakfast. She decided to keep her secret for now.

"Guess I overslept." She commented, walking over to the group.

Elsa greeted her. "Good morning, Astrid. Care for some breakfast?"

"Sounds good. Thanks." She replied, picking up a piece of meat. But she nearly choked as Anna happily munched on a Woodland Tidbit.

"You're actually eating THAT?"

"Mm Hmm." Anna replied, "It's actually not bad, once you get past knowing what it is."

Astrid was astounded. Looking to Elsa, she was then left dumbfounded. Elsa also seemed to be enjoying the unique menu item.

"Pretty impressive, eh?" Hiccup commented pleasantly, "Yesterday they were tossing chow, and today they're eating like vikings."

Elsa added, "We came to realize that if you can survive eating like this, and clearly you can, then it can't be all bad. And with the inconvenience you've tolerated caused by our presence, it would be an insult to you for us not to put real effort into adjusting to your ways."

Astrid felt her heart sink as Elsa popped down another Tidbit.

After breakfast, they took to the air. Hiccup and Elsa were discussing viking life as they flew. Astrid however, in an attempt to stave off turning royals into vikings, kept hitting Anna with questions about life in Arendelle. Anna happily told her everything she wanted to know, and to Astrid, it sounded like the perfect life. Why would anyone want to give that up? That was the one question she avoided asking Anna. Whatever it took to keep her thinking about what she really was.

A few hours into their flight, Elsa spotted something on the horizon. Something big. She pointed it out to Hiccup. With a hand gesture, he signaled for Astrid to follow. From this distance, it could well have been an island. But Hiccup knew this region well, and there were no islands out here. As they got closer the mass grew, until it seemed to cover the horizon completely. Shapes began to form. Could they be trees? No. Trees don't grow straight up, or all the same. Masts! Hiccup looked through his little spyglass as something rose from the mass into the air. And panicked.

"SKRILL!" he shrieked

Elsa asked, "What is a Skrill?"

"A very powerful dragon. One that we try to avoid at all cost." He answered shakily.

"I don't think it's giving us a choice!" Anna screamed.

Sure enough, the fearsome beast was heading straight for them. Hiccup looked through his spyglass again, and very nonchalantly said. "Ho, this just got worse."

Astrid asked, "How could this possibly get worse?"

"It is a Skrill, "he answered, "it's coming this way, and Dagur the Deranged is riding it."

Anna commented, "Astrid. When you ask how things could get worse, they always do."

From his saddle on his mighty Skrill, Dagur glared at his prey. Ahead of him, a Night Fury and a Nader were flying towards him. He had no doubts as to who he was facing, even if he couldn't see their faces at this distance.

"Well well, Hiccup," he growled "now we'll see just who is the dragon master. Keep your precious Night Fury. Better yet, DIE WITH IT!"

Dagur tapped the Skrills head, and it released a massive bolt of lightning towards the Riders.

Seeing a flash of light from the Skrill, Hiccup and Astrid turned hard, just missing being zapped by a bolt of lightning. It was clear to all of them that Dagur had only one goal in mind. And it wasn't to just make their hair stand on end. Hiccup and Astrid however, had a different goal now. To protect Elsa and Anna at all cost. Hiccup could easily have gotten Elsa out of the area quickly, as Toothless could easily outrun a Skrill. But Stormfly didn't have the speed to escape. And Princess Anna was on her back. The only choice now was to fight.

Hiccup called to Astrid, "Split up! Come at him from the sides! Don't give Dagur an easy target!"

And the battle was on. Three dragons tore up the skies, two dragons firing on one. Elsa and Anna kept their eyes on Dagur, keeping their pilots constantly informed of their opponents' doings. They could have used their powers, but Hiccup had suggested they keep that secret weapon hidden for now. But Dagur had trained his dragon well. And despite the best efforts from both sides of the fight, neither was giving or losing any ground. It was a battle that seemed to have no end.

Stromfly swooped down on the Skrill from above, launching a stream of fire. The shot missed, and Dagur banked quickly to get firing position. He then fired another bolt at the Nader, missing by only a few inches. One stray tendril of energy however, found a target, striking Astrids helmet. Her body went stiff, then she slumped sideways, rolling off Stormflys back.

"ASTRID!" Anna screamed as her pilot tumbled towards the sea far below.

Dagur cheered loudly, proud of making the first hit of the fight. Giving no further though to Stormfly, he turned his full attention to Hiccup and his accursed Night Fury.

Elsa had heard Anna scream and now screamed herself as she saw Astrid fall.

"HICCUP! ASTRID'S FALLEN OFF HER DRAGON!" she yelled, pointing at their falling comrad.

Without a word and before Hiccup could even give a command, Toothless turned hard and rocketed down towards Astrid. With only seconds before she hit the water, Toothless was beneath her, and she landed in Elsas waiting arms. "She's out cold!" she told Hiccup.

A bolt of lightning shot past them. Dagur had not given up his pursuit, and was closing in. Hiccup took evasive action, but with 3 riders, Toothless found it harder to maneuver. This fight had just gotten harder.

Anna was terrified. She now found herself alone, high above the North Sea on a dragon she didn't know how to fly. Below she had seen Toothless, Hiccup and Elsa snatch Astrid from the jaws of death. But she could also see Dagur charging in towards them. She fought to pull her thoughts together. What had Astrid said about Naders that would help her now?

"Stormfly?" she stammered. Stormfly clucked a response.

"We have a big problem here. Astrids fallen off. I'm alone with you, and I don't know how to fly a dragon!" She was hoping Astrids comments about the Naders intelligence weren't exaggerated.

Stormfly bobbed her head and chirped, which Anna took as 'Take the horns'. Anna took hold of the two longest horn on Stormflys head. Stormfly lowered her head slightly and descended, then tilted her head back and rose. She then squawked to Anna.

"I think I get it, girl!" Anna replied. "Just point your head where I want to go. And just tell you everything else, right?" Stormfly chirped happily in reply.

Annas courage came back. "Then lets get back in this fight!"

With 3 riders on his back and an angry Skrill on his tail, Toothless was giving everything he had to gain some distance. Elsa held Astrid tight as Hiccup tried everything he could think of to get his dragon and passengers to safety. But Dagur would have none of it. Bolt after bolt shot from his Skrills mouth, Toothless always just dodging the shot. Dagur roared in frustration. Elsa looked back. The look on Dagurs face was clear even from this distance. He wanted blood.

The look on Elsas face suddenly changed from fear to surprise as a blast of dragonfire struck the Skrill broadside, sending it tumbling off course. She looked to where the blast came from and, pointing towards the source, cheered wildy. Hiccup and Toothless looked also, huge smiles appearing on both their faces.

From the far right, Anna and Stormfly swooped in, still firing on Dagur. With the tables turned, Dagur fought to get positon on the new attacker, but Anna stayed hard on his tail. This gave Hiccup a chance to get a better position himself. At that point Astrid started coming around.

"Easy Astrid," Elsa told her, "I've got you."

Astrid spoke, but what she said was gibberish. Elsa looked to Hiccup.

"She took a lightning bolt to the head." He said. "She'll be fine in a while."

Anna wasn't about to let Dagur get away. She matched every turn he made, calling out fire commands to Stormfly. But she had lost count of how many times Stormfly had fired, and now the mighty dragon was coughing out smoke puffs instead of fire. Anna pulled back, bringing Stormfly to hover.

"Oh No! You're out of fire." She cried out. Stormfly gave a whimpered chirp. Dagur took the opportunity to look his opponent in the eye, bringing his Skrill to hover a short distance from Anna.

"I've never seen you before," Dagur chimed, "But I can see you've used up your dragons fire. Since you are quite beautiful, I'm gonna give you a choice. Die here and now, or join me and rule the North Sea at my side."

Neither option sounded in any way appealing to Anna. "My dragon may have a shot limit," she said angrily, "But I DON"T!"

She thrust her hands forward, releasing a steady stream of fire. The stream pounded against the Skrills chest and spread out in all directions. Both Dagur and his dragon held their position, too confused by this surprise attack to respond.

Elsa saw the opportunity that her sister had given them. "Hiccup. Get me in close!"

Without a word, Hiccup spun Toothless around and flew straight for Dagur, hoping Elsa knew what she was doing.

From the corner of her eye, Anna saw the Night Fury coming in fast. At the right moment, Anna ceased her attack. Dagur regained only enough composure to see Toothless passing beside him. The woman at the back held her hand up, releasing a blast of energy. The blast covered his dragons' right wing in a thick layer of solid ice, sending he and his dragon spiraling down into the ocean.

With Dagur defeated, the 2 dragons flew alongside each other. Elsa, Hiccup and Astrid were amazed.

Hiccup stated. "Anna! You're actually flying a dragon!" Astrid babbled something incomprehensible.

"I think she's asking how you pulled that off." Elsa commented. "I'd like to know that myself as well."

Anna smiled. "Actually Stormfly taught me." She then looked worried. "What's wrong with Astrid."

"Lightning strike to the head." Hiccup answered. "She'll be ok in a while."

Elsa stated firmly, "Still, it might not be a bad idea to head for Berk. We know where the fleet is now, and who's running it. And I'm a little worried for Astrids condition. We should get her to help just to be safe."

Everyone agreed. Hiccup and Anna pointed their dragons west towards Berk, not noticing the angry Skrill and its rider in the water below.

Dager held onto his dragon, its right wing still encased in the hardest ice he had ever seen. As he watched his foes fly off, his mind raced. How could this have happened? Who were those 2 women, and what power did these 2 women have that could so easily defeat him? Then he had a moment of clarity.

"So the stories are true." He growled. "The Sisters of Arendelle are real. Looks like my armada has a new target."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 10

It had been several hours since Hiccup, Astrid and the Sisters had defeated the infamous Dagur the Deranged and his mighty Skrill, leaving them afloat in the north sea. Elsa knew they could have easily eliminated his entire fleet as well, but a more pressing concern overruled. Astrid had been struck by Skrill lightning during the fight, and though awake, was babbling senselessly. Hiccup had told her it would pass. But she and Anna both knew the possible cost of being struck by incredible power, and chose instead to return to Berk to get Astrid medical attention. Elsa breathed a sigh of relief as Berk came into view.

They touched down in the center of the village, attracting a lot of attention. Anna rushed over to help Astrid down off Toothless. Astrid offered little resistance. Then Anna and Elsa stood back as Hiccup helped her to Stoick and The Elder.

"Dad! Astrid took a lightning strike from a Skrill!" he called out.

The Elder waved her hand, summoning 2 women to escort Astrid to her house, where she could be treated.

"Now Hiccup," Stoick asked, "How exactly was Astrid hit by a Skrill?"

Hiccup stammered slightly. "That's a bit of a long story. Perhaps some introductions are in order first." He turned. "Chief Stoick, may I prese...Oh."

Stormfly and Toothless had hunkered down on the ground. Elsa was sitting down, leaning up against Toothless and Anna had her head on Elsas lap. All 4 were fast asleep.

Hiccup continued, with a slightly sarcastic tone. "Queen Elsa and Princess Anna of Arendelle."

Stoick called over 2 more women. "Bunk them down at my house. We can't have royal guests sleeping in the middle of town. Make sure they're comfortable."

The 2 women gently picked up the Sisters and did as Stoick ordered. Then Stoick turned back to Hiccup.

"Now son. I sent your team to Arendelle on a diplomatic mission. You were supposed to tell them anything they needed to know to help with their crisis. Did I not make my instructions clear?"

"You were very clear, Dad."

Stoick continued. "Then why is one of your team now under the Elders care, and why do I have unexpected royal guests dressed like vikings and 2 dragons falling asleep in my village square."

Hiccup stammered. "Um..It had been a busy day."

"Tell me about it!", Stoick scowled.

Hiccup began his previously mentioned long story

Elsas eyes fluttered, slowly opening. For a moment she just stared. The last thing she remembered was sitting on the ground beside Toothless. Now she was in a bed, in what appeared to be a house. But who's bed? Who's house? Propping herself up she looked around. It was a modest home, made mainly of raw wood. Intricate carvings adorned the walls. And across the room Anna lay on another bed, snoring loudly. Trying not to wake her sister, Elsa quietly got out of bed and made her way to the door. The heavy door creaked as she opened it, but thankfully Anna didn't notice. Opening it as little as possible, Elsa ducked outside.

She scanned around. The Hooligan village was not as she had imagined it would be. The buildings all looked like sail ships half buried upright in the ground. Intricate carvings of dragons adorned every house, and many homes had their own gardens full of growing vegetables. Other houses had pens containing sheep or chickens. A clanging sound caught her attention. To her left appeared to be a blacksmith shop. In it, a burly character with a hammer attached where his hand should be was pounding on a glowing orange iron bar. To her right she could see the docks, with ships offloading baskets full of fresh caught fish. These people clearly lived a simple life. Simple, but appealing, Elsa thought.

A voice called to her. "G'mornin! I was wonderin when you'd wake up."

Elsa watched as a very large man with a thick beard and even thicker arms approached.

"I'm Stoick the Vast," he stated, "Chief of the Hooligan Tribe."

Elsa bowed her head. "It's a pleasure to meet you, chief. I'm Queen Elsa of Arendelle."

Stoick bowed in respect. "The pleasure, however unexpected, is entirely mine your majesty."

"Please," Elsa asked, "Just Elsa will be fine."

"As you wish, Elsa. I assume you slept well. He he! You certainly slept hard."

Elsa blushed slightly. "Quite well. I guess yesterday was more taxing than I realized. I must thank you for the splendid accommodations on such short notice."

"Think nothing of it." Stoick replied. "We've never had royal guests on Berk before, and since you were asleep before we could be properly introduced, I wanted to give a good first impression when you woke. Though from what I've been told, you may be wishing to stay with us for more than a visit."

How did he know? She hadn't told anyone. Had Anna let it slip?

"Forgive me, but how did you know that?" she asked

Stoick replied, "Astrid told me when she recovered. Seems she had overheard a conversation between you and your sister the night before."

Elsa looked annoyed. She was grateful Astrid was better, but that had been a private conversation.

"Oh, don't be upset with her." Stoick continued, "She was worried that you might be making a rash decision. Those of us in command often wish for a simpler life, away from the burdens of duty. If you'd like, we can head over to the great hall and discuss what you've discovered in the north sea. And anything else you may wish to talk about."

Elsa couldn't deny his logic." I think that's a great idea, Stoick. Thank you."

With that Stoick and Elsa headed to the great hall.

An hour later Anna finally awoke. Far less interested in the architecture than her sister was, she immediately went outside. The sun was high, blinding her for a moment. Then she heard a familiar voice.

"Anna!" Astrid called. Anna ran to her.

"Astrid! You're talking normal again!"

"Yep. All back to normal. And nice work with Stormfly yesterday. How'd you figure out how to control her?"

"I just told her you had fallen off and I couldn't drive. She taught me from there."

"Wow! It usually takes time for a rider and dragon to bond like that. She must really like you, Anna."

Anna held her arms out, grinning. "Hey. What's not to like?" Both girls laughed out loud.

Then Anna asked, "So where is everyone?"

"Elsa and Stoick are in the great hall."Astrid replied. "Hiccup and the other Riders, except Fishlegs, are there too. I was just coming over to see if you were awake yet."

"Then I guess that's where I should be now, eh?"

Astrid nodded. "Come on. It's this way."

On arriving at the great hall, they spotted Elsa and Stoick, Hiccup, Snotlout and the Twins at the far end of the room and made their way over.

"Anna!" Elsa chimed. "I'm glad you made it. We were just discussing Dagurs fleet. And what we'll need to defeat him once and for all."

"Um.." Tuffnutt commented, "couldn't you 2 just freeze and burn the whole fleet yourselves?"

Tuffnut had a fair point. Elsa and Anna could probably eradicate the entire fleet with no trouble at all. But Stoick had an answer.

"Because it would be better to get everyone around the North Sea to stand against Dagur together. To show him that not just one people, but all of them, will not tolerate his behavior."

"Exactly!" Elsa commented. "Such an endeavor would also strengthen the bonds between the allied kingdoms, making others who would threaten them think twice about it. The benefits to peace in the region would be immeasurable."

Tuff gave a dull expression. "I didn't get any of that."

"That's ok, Tuff." Hiccup said. "Just do what we do and you'll be fine."

Anna spoke up. "So what's our plan?"

"It's a 6 hour flight to Arendelle." Hiccup answered. "We can leave in an hour and still be there by nightfall."

Elsa added, "Then we'll inform Kristoff and anyone else involved of the situation. Tomorrow we'll start making preparations for battle. Chief Stoick has given us the Riders to help in the fight. Officially this time. Hopefully Kristoff got the word out to the allied kingdoms of our mission. We'll need them to make this operation a success."

"I am so stoked right now!" Snotlout cheered

"We'll see if you still feel that way when you see just how big Dagurs fleet is for yourself." Astrid responded.

"Then let's get going. We have a lot to do and not much time to do it." Hiccup ordered.

The group headed out, but Stoick called Elsa aside.

"About our earlier chat." He said, "As one leader to another, can I offer a little advice?"

"From you, always."

"Keep your head in this fight. Don't think about anything else. It could mean the difference between success and defeat."

Elsa nodded, then Stoick added,

"And when this is all done, if you decide you really want to let go of your royal life, then know there will be a place for you and your sister in the Hooligan tribe."

Elsa smiled. "Thank you Stoick. I promise I'll give it very careful thought. After this battle is won."

Stoick smiled brightly through his thick beard and waved Elsa on. She ran over to Toothless, where Hiccup was already waiting. She climbed on, then Hiccup gave the command. 4 dragons leaped into the air, and they were on their way back to Arendelle.

Stoick watched as they flew off. He raised his hand high.

"Good Luck, Riders"


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 11

Back in Arendelle, Kristoff was pulling his hair out. Elsa had placed him in charge before she bolted off to who knows where, and he wasn't happy about it. Now that he had been running Arendelle for the last 5 days, he was even less happy. As Commodities Director, Kristoff had a busy job, but now he wasn't just managing commodities. Every problem the kingdom had fell squarely on his shoulders. Oh how he longed to return to the simple life he had when he just sold ice. How did Elsa and Anna do this day in and day out? Thankfully he had some help. Olaf was always ready with advice and encouragement. And Fishlegs, who had returned early due to his dragons' limited speed, had plenty of logic for Kristoff to draw on.

What made this day even more challenging was that he had a harbor full of ships to organize. His message to the allied kingdoms had reached the right ears far faster than he imagined, and each kingdom had sent a supply convoy escorted by as many warships as each could spare. An encouraging gesture, given that no-one yet knew even who the enemy was, let alone the size of his force. But sadly, this wasn't what it appeared to be. The warships had been sent to protect the convoys ONLY. From every dignitary Kristoff heard the same thing. This was Arendelles fight, and they felt there was no need to commit resources to a conflict that the Sisters of Arendelle could settle in minutes on their own.

In the courtyard, Kristoff tried to bring order to the chaos in Arendelle, and in his head.

"What a bunch of cowards!" he exclaimed, "After everything Arendelle has done for the alliance, how could they just turn their backs like this?"

Fishlegs replied, "Well, they do have a point. Elsa and Anna could easily wipe out the Berserker tribe completely without anyone's help."

"But this force threatens all the kingdoms of the alliance." Olaf stated, "It's not Arendelles job to protect everyone that sails the North Sea."

"That's EXACTLY my point, Olaf!" Kristoff gripped. "If Elsa and Anna take care of this themselves, then the alliance will expect them to come running whenever they're in trouble rather than protecting themselves. The past few days I've learned exactly what the queen has to do here. She can't be running off to help others and still rule Arendelle."

"Also a good point." Fishlegs admitted. "But these people seem very determined to stay out of a fight. How can we change their minds?"

Kristoff held his pounding head. Looking towards the evening sun, he relished the warmth on his face. But something caught his eye, just to the left of the sun. Something was flying. As he watched, the small object became bigger, then became 2, then 4. And they were getting bigger.

"Um..do you guys see that?" he asked.

Olaf and Fishlegs looked. Then Fishlegs lit up. "I'd know those shapes anywhere. It's the Riders!"

Within a few minutes the 4 dragons set down in the courtyard. Seeing Kristoff, Anna jumped down off Stormfly and ran to him, throwing her arms as much around him and as tightly she could. She smiled when he responded in kind. Nothing needed to be said between them.

Although Elsa was pleased to see that there were no hard feelings between her sister and Kristoff, she had much bigger issues to deal with. She hopped off Toothless and walked to them, clearing her throat.

"I'm really sorry to interrupt," she said, "but Kristoff, why are there so many ships in port?"

Kristoff looked up at her. "They're from the allied kingdoms. Supply ships with warship escorts. They came in response to the message I sent 5 days ago."

Elsa lit up. "That's perfect! We don't have much time to set up our defenses. Kristoff, have the delegates meet in the courtroom in 1 hour. Anna, I'm afraid I'll need you. "She turned to Hiccup. "And all of you as well." The Riders nodded their acknowledgment.

Anna pulled away from Kristoff. "I'm sorry my love. But we are all in very big trouble!"

"Wait. What do you mean?" he asked as she left. Anna yelled back.

"He's coming!"

The courtroom was buzzing with conversation. The delegates of the allied kingdoms all wondered the same things. Why were they here at this hour? Who were these vikings standing beside the podium? What was the queen up to? But all fell silent as Queen Elsa and Princess Anna were announced. Now dressed in full formal gowns and presenting perfect royal deportment, Elsa stepped up to the podium with Anna at her side.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the Alliance," she began, "We have a crisis situation. 5 days ago Princess Anna and I embarked with the Dragon Riders of Berk on a search mission to find who or what was hijacking trade ships in the North Sea. It is my unfortunate duty to report to you that we have found the answer. To fully explain our enemy, I give you our viking expert Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third of the Hooligan tribe of Berk."

Elsa stepped aside as Hiccup stepped up.

"Ladies and Gentlemen. For many years Berk has had unfortunate dealings with a vicious band of vikings known as The Berserkers. Their leader is named Dagur the Deranged, a name that I'm sorry to say is well and truly earned. From our observations, it appears that he has been capturing trade ships for some time, adding them to his armada. Our best guess is that he now has almost a thousand ships in his fleet. It is my belief that he plans to use this fleet to assume control of all shipping within the North Sea. And his fleet is on its way to Arendelle as we speak. Maybe a day or two at most."

Muffled comments rose from the crowd.

Hiccup stepped down as Elsa returned to the podium.

"Thank you Hiccup. Ladies and Gentlemen, I have asked you all here, in accordance with the alliance charter, to ask for your help in eliminating this threat to the safety and economic stability of all our lands. Together, we can send a message. That the allied kingdoms will not stand by and allow tyranny to endanger the peaceful way of life that we have worked so hard to build in the region. Arendelle will commit 25 warships to this cause. What say you all?"

The room fell silent. The delegates looked around to each other, but nobody spoke. Elsa and Anna scanned the room, their hearts sinking fast.

Hiccup spoke up. "Your majesty! Berk may not be a member of the alliance, but Dagur has been as much a thorn in our sides as he is yours now. We will commit 5 dragons and their riders to the defeat of Dagur the Deranged!" the Riders cheered out in agreement. This made Elsa and Anna smile.

"Arendelle graciously welcomes Berks assistance." Elsa stated. She turned to the crowd. "Will no-one from the alliance answer Arendelles call?"

One delegate stood. "Forgive me your majesty. But the simple truth is that we see no need to commit what meager resources we have against such a powerful foe, when the Sisters of Arendelle could eliminate this threat themselves with no risk or difficulty whatsoever."

His words hit them like a hammer. Elsa was stunned. Anna however was enraged.

"You can't be serious!" she bellowed. "Is this alliance actually saying that it wants to put all the defense needs of the region on US simply because we have magic? I can't believe what I'm hearing!"

"Easy Anna." Elsa called. Anna crossed her arms, an angry look on her face.

Elsa turned back to the crowd. "Is what my sister says true? Do you believe it is our duty to protect you all ourselves? Is this alliance going to ignore Arendelles call for help because of our gifts?"

Again, nobody responded.

Elsa hung her head. "Then I have no choice. In accordance with article 18 of the alliance charter, which reads ' If a call for help is ignored by any other member of the alliance with the capability to assist, the kingdom requesting assistance may choose to remove itself from said alliance, in order to use whatever means necessary to defend itself.', I Queen Elsa withdraw Arendelles membership from the allied kingdoms."

Suddenly everyone was talking at once.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 12

It was chaos in the courtroom. Kings, Queens, Ambassadors and Dukes alike were all screaming their disapproval at the bombshell Elsa had just dropped. Arendelle was the central hub for the regions trade industry. Without it, trade in the region would collapse completely. Elsa and Anna could only stand silently before what was looking more like an angry mob than a group of dignitaries. But they held their composure, showing no weakness or intent to back down. Then one overpowering voice rose above.

"AND YOU CALL US UNCIVILIZED!"

The mob suddenly fell silent, with everyone, including Elsa and Anna, looking toward the riders. Hiccup held his hands up. "Whoa! That wasn't me!"

"No, that was me!" Snotlout said, stepping forward. He now had everyone's full attention.

"We vikings may not live in the fancy homes that you do. Or wear the finest materials like you do. Or even eat the best foods like you. But we clearly know a lot that you don't. Like how important friendship and trust are. These 2 things can make the difference between a clan thriving or dying off. A true viking would never EVER turn his back when a friend is in real trouble."

In utter amazement, Astrid asked him, "Whoa! Who are you?"

He stepped over beside Elsa, faced the crowd and replied.

"I am Snotlout Jorgenson of Berk! And I stand beside, NOT behind, Arendelle"

The Riders saw where Snotlout was going with this, and gladly followed his lead.

"I am Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III of Berk, and I stand beside Arendelle!"

"I am Astrid Hofferson of Berk, and I stand beside Arendelle!

"My name is Fishlegs Ingerman of Berk, and I stand beside the Queen and Princess of Arendelle!"

"We're Tuffnut and Ruffnut Thorston of Berk." Tuffnut stated.

Ruffnut added, "And where Queen Elsa and Princess Anna go, we go!"

Elsa and Anna could not contain the smiles that overpowered their faces at that point. A moment ago they felt alone. But the support of their friends had given them renewed confidence, and it showed.

Someone from the crowd spoke. "Forgive me your majesty, but one question comes to my mind now. If this Dagur person was content to keep his tyranny out in the North Sea, why would he be coming to Arendelle now?"

"I'm afraid I don't know the answer to that question." Elsa replied.

Hiccup added. "But I think I do." Elsa nodded for him to continue.

"Dagur is a fierce warrior and a brutal leader. But in many ways he is also a child. If he likes something, he wants it for himself. And Dagur LOVES power. If anyone has something more powerful than he does, he wants it. And he'll do whatever he has to, or kill whoever he has to, to get it."

The crowd gasped.

"During our search mission we were attacked by Dagur, and only made our escape thanks to Elsa and Annas powers. Dagur probably heard the stories of The Sisters of Arendelle and, having seen their powers firsthand, decided that he wants them for himself."

Elsa and Anna looked at Hiccup with fear.

"You mean he's coming here for US!?" Anna exclaimed

"I believe so." Hiccup said. "He will probably try to force you to join him. And with the size of his armada, he'll destroy Arendelle and slaughter every living thing here to do it."

The fear in the courtroom was evident.

A voice rose from the back of the room. "So why don't the Sisters of Arendelle just kill off Dagur and his armada and rid us all of his tyranny for good?"

Fishlegs commented aloud. "Snotlout was right. We are more civilized than them."

Anna answered the question.

"When my sister and I realized just how powerful we are, we remembered something our father had once said."

Elsa added, "With great power comes great responsibility."

"That's right, "Anna continued."We could easily use our powers to take whatever we wanted, or kill anyone who crosses us. And there's almost nothing anyone could do to stop us. But that would make us no better than Dagur. And where would that leave the allied kingdoms?"

The delegates seemed uncomfortable with that thought.

"That's why my sister and I took a vow to NEVER use our powers to take a life, no matter what. We will do whatever we have to, but no-one will ever die by our gifts."

"Well said, Anna." Elsa commented. Then she addressed the crowd.

"The position of the allied kingdoms has been made clear. With regards to the alliance, Arendelle will stand alone. With Berks assistance, we will defeat Dagur and free the north sea of his tyranny. After that, I will begin the process of removing Arendelle from the alliance. This meeting is adjourned."

But as Elsa turned, a female delegate stood.

"Hold please, your majesty."

Elsa stopped and turned towards the woman.

"Ambassador Karen Ingstram of Weselton, your majesty. Allow me first to apologize for my part in the barbaric display that we have just seen here."

"Please continue." Elsa said kindly.

"I will be honest. I myself questioned why Arendelle needed assistance in this matter. But I see now that there was much more to this situation that we were aware of. Sad to say, but of all the kingdoms represented here, Arendelle is the only one who truly followed the alliance code. A code that, I believe, your father helped forge."

"That is true." Anna stated.

"Your father would be proud of both of you." The Ambassador stated. "Weselton has 21 warships and 4 armed cargo ships in Arendelle port right now, a total of 25 combat capable vessels. I hereby commit them to your command for this mission, on one condition."

Elsa asked, "And what is your condition?"

"That Princess Anna," the ambassador smiled, "promise not to destroy these ones, the way she did the last Weselton waships that were here."

Laughter rose throughout the crowd. They all knew how Anna had sunk 199 Weselton warships all on her own. Anna tried to shy away, but Elsa put a hand on her shoulder and smiled.

"You have my word Ambassador, that if your ships take damage in battle, it will not be from my sister or myself."

"The kingdom of Aldera can commit 15 ships to the defeat of Dagur the Deranged!" another delegate yelled.

One by one, each delegate stood and declared their contributions. Kristoff and Olaf kept a count of the offerings, taking down who was putting how many ships to the cause. When the last delegate made his declaration, Kristoff asked Olaf,

"I have 256 ships. What do you have?"

"Yep. 256 ships." He replied.

Kristoff stood in front of the podium, facing the queen.

"Your majesty, the allied kingdoms have answered Arendelles call with 256 combat vessels. Add to that 5 skilled dragons and their riders from Berk, and I'd say our chances of victory are pretty good."

"Um, Director Kristoff," Anna said, "You left out two other resources."

Kristoff thought for a moment, then added another item to his list.

"Of course your highness. Two women with elemental magic powers from Arendelle. Our chance of victory just went from good," he faced the crowd, "to almost guaranteed!"

Cheers erupted from all around the room. Elsa smiled, holding her hands up, and the crowd silenced.

"Arendelle is grateful for all of your generous assistance. Since there has clearly been no infraction of the alliance charter, I retract my decision to leave the alliance."

More cheers from the room.

"But time is not on our side now." Elsa stated. "We must make sail as soon as possible if we are to keep Dagur and his fleet, and this battle, at sea. If there are no other issues, then I call this meeting adjourned."

Everyone abandoned protocol and ran to get their ships ready. Hiccup took the Riders to the stables to ready their dragons. And Elsa and Anna left to prepare Arendelles fleet of ships.

And themselves.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 13

Nearly 18 hours after they had left the port of Arendelle the alliance fleet was well into the North Sea, sailing towards the last known location of the Berserker armada. It was a very heartening sight, with the polished brass fittings and cannons of 256 sail ships gleaming in the afternoon sun. To lower the risk of being caught by surprise, the Riders took turns patrolling the skies around the fleet, looking for Dagur. They knew he was around here. Just not exactly where. But what if they were wrong? Had Dagur changed course? If so, he could be at Arendelle now. These were thoughts that Elsa could not afford to have. She was now in command of the alliance fleet on a vital search and destroy mission. She had to, as Stoick had advised her, keep her head in this fight.

Elsa and Anna stood at the front rail of the alliance fleet flagship, their armor breastplates gleaming in the sun, watching as the twins guided their Zippleback through the skies on their patrol route. So far there had been no sign of the Berserkers, and they were worried. The day was slipping away quickly, and they didn't want to face their foe in the dark of night.

"You don't think," Anna asked, "that we somehow missed them, do you?"

"No," Elsa replied. "I think they're out there. Probably not far. What I worry about is are we ready for him."

Anna beamed. "Oh I know we are. We have the advantage. How can we lose?"

Elsa gave her a confused look. "What advantage is that?"

Anna took her hand. "We have each other."

Elsa smiled at that.

Their attention was then caught by a fireball high in the sky above the horizon. The flagships captain came running forward.

"Princess Anna. Was that your doing?" he asked pointing to the fireball.

Anna replied, "Nope. Not me this time!" Elsa looked through a spyglass towards the fireball, then down to the horizon. As she thought. The horizon was filled with masts and sails.

"I believe we've found the Berserker armada." She stated. "Captain, pass the word to all ships. Best speed ahead. Prepare for battle!"

The red battle flag was raised on the mast, followed by one on each ship in the fleet, and all sails were tightened to increase speed towards their target. As they sailed towards the enemy, Ruff and Tuff returned to the flagship to report what they found. Elsa and Anna met them on the main deck.

"What'd you find?" Elsa asked.

Tuff replied. "It's definitely Dagur. Looks like he's added more ships too."

"And he's coming right at us! Maybe an hour out!" Ruff added.

A lump formed in Elsas throat. The time had arrived. The alliance fleet would be looking to her to guide them in this fight. Her decisions would set the course for the battle, be it to victory or defeat. Holding her head high, she turned to Hiccup.

"Are the Riders ready?"

"Ready to fight, your majesty." Hiccup replied confidently.

She turned to the captain. "Are all crews ready, Captain?"

"All cannons loaded and ready. All archers at their posts, swordsmen on standby. Awaiting your command, your majesty." He replied.

"Then have all ships take an extended line formation on the flagship. 500 foot spacing between. When the princess gives the signal, bring port side cannons to bear on the target. If it floats and is not one of ours, sink it." She ordered.

"Aye your majesty." He said smartly.

Anna asked her, "Um..What signal am I supposed to send?"

Elsa replied, "When the battle commences, I need you to send up a plasma ball. This will alert the fleet to open fire."

"Oh." Anna said. "Ok. I can do that."

Elsa and Anna turned forward to look at the incoming armada. The horizon seemed filled with black ships, their sails marked with a dragon emblem. Through the spyglass Elsa could see the men on deck. Huge brutes adorned in fur with animal horns on their helmets. But she also noticed there weren't many men on each ship. Handing the spyglass to Anna she asked,

"What do you make of this, Anna?"

Anna peered through the spyglass. "They don't seem to have full crews on their ships. Maybe Dagur added ships to his fleet faster than he could get men to fill them."

"Good theory, sis." Elsa replied. "And probably correct. It's also an advantage for us. They won't be able to maneuver or fire as quickly as our fully crewed ships."

"ELSA!" Anna screamed, pointing at the enemy fleet.

Elsa looked out, seeing a familiar form coming towards them. It was Dagur and his Skrill.

"Stand by!" Elsa ordered aloud. "Fire only on my order!"

Elsa and Anna stood back, holding an attack posture, as the Skrill touched down on the deck. Dagur smiled sinisterly at the sisters.

"Well well well!" he glowered. "The Sisters of Arendelle. And here I thought you were just the ravings of lunatics."

"Oh I assure you, Dagur the Deranged," Elsa growled back, "that the stories of us are very much true."

"As are the stories of our accomplishments!" Anna added.

"Oh, I believe you." Dagur smirked. "Which is why I'm here to offer you a chance to join the mighty Berserker tribe."

Elsa shot back, "And why would we want to do a foolish thing like that?"

Dagurs smile vanished. "Don't think me a fool, ladies. I know very well that you could have killed me and all of the Berserkers at our last encounter. But you didn't. Because you're too good. You probably took some kind of silly oath or vow to never do harm with your powers. This is a weakness I intend to exploit."

"So you aren't as dumb as you look!" Anna snapped.

"Oh you'll join me Sisters," he snarled, "Because if you don't, my armada will lay waste not only to your puny fleet, but to all of your so called Allied Kingdoms. Starting with Arendelle!"

"Our powers," Elsa replied, "like us, cannot be coerced. If you want us, you'll have to take us the hard way. In battle!"

Dagur hung his head. "Such a waste. But if that's how you feel…."

He tapped his dragons neck, and the Skrill stood upright, a ball of light growing quickly in its mouth. But Elsa and Anna were ready. Both fired streams of energy that met just in front of the Skrills chest. The 2 energies combined to create an extremely powerful jet of super-heated steam, the force of which flung Dagur and his Skrill off the deck and almost half way back to his fleet.

Anna pointed her hands into the air and released a burning plasma ball. The ball flew straight up high in the air, then exploded. This signaled the fleet to begin the attack. The alliance ships turned, pointing their cannons at Dagurs fleet. But they held their fire as the enemy was still just out of cannon range.

Dagur shook off the surprise hit. "So be it, Sisters." Then he screamed to his armada. "Catapults, FIRE!"

At that point the whole alliance realized that, even though Dagur was a feared leader, he wasn't much of a strategist. Catapults could fling thousand pound boulders with ease, but they had a notoriously short firing range. And Dagur had placed all his slower moving catapult ships at the back of the fleet.

Elsa, Anna, the Riders and all of the alliance personnel broke out in uncontrolled laughter as Dagurs catapult shots landed on his own fleet, sending 149 of his ships to the bottom of the north sea and severely damaging 34 others. Dagur was clearly not pleased, as he put his hands to his head and screamed. Thanks to Dagur, the alliance claimed first kills of the fight.

Elsa composed herself. "Hiccup, lets get our dragon force in the air. Anna, it's time to fight."

With that, Elsa and Anna joined Hiccup and Astrid on their dragons. From her seat on Toothless, she gave the captain his fleet battle orders, then tapped Hiccups shoulder. Hiccup gave the command.

"RIDERS! ATTACK!"


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 14

The battle was on. Elsa, Anna and their team of dragon riders took to the air, flying towards Dagur and his Berserker fleet. The plan was simple. The dragons would split up and use their unique abilities to sink as many Berserker ships as they could, while the alliance fleet kept the enemy fleet contained to the area, also sinking as many as they could. Elsa wasn't worried about the fleet in lines of ship to ship combat. It was that Skrill that worried her.

"Ok!" she yelled out. "Let's split up. Hiccup and I will keep Dagur busy while the rest of you lay it thick on those barbarians!"

Anna contested. "No Elsa!"

Elsa looked over to her. Anna explained.

"My powers are stronger than yours. We could keep Dagur so busy he won't even notice what the rest of you are doing. Besides, I think Astrid wants some payback for him shocking her head!"

Astrid smiled in agreement. Elsa couldn't argue.

"Very well." She replied. "But be careful. I don't want to be an only child!"

"I'll try to bring her back in one piece!" Astrid chuckled. She then turned Stormfly and they set off for Dagur.

"Now," Elsa said to Hiccup, "let's get down there and give the sea floor some new decorations!"

Hiccup replied happily. "You got it, Queen Elsa!"

He gave a series of hand gestures, then the dragon assault began. The Twins dove down between 2 rows of ships, Barf leaving a trail of green gas behind. Then Belch ignited the gas, the explosive force incinerating the 15 closest ships and rolling another 43 on their backs. Fishlegs guided Meatlug towards the catapult ships. As they launched boulders into the air, Meatlug caught and ate them. She then spun around, spewing hot molten rock down onto the Berserker fleet. Then they watched as 37 more ships burst into flame. Snotlout swooped in low and had Hookfang do a wing sweep. This created a wind blast that caught the sails of 14 ships, rolling them over. Hiccup had Toothless fire plasma blasts at the Berserker ships, making large holes in their hulls at the water line and sending them down. And Elsa created large ice blocks at the top of their masts, the heavy ice either breaking the mast and crushing the ship as it fell, or causing the ship to topple over and sink. At the same time the alliance ships lobbed cannonballs into the Berserker fleet, doing plenty of damage.

As the battle raged below, Dagur watched angrily. How could the mighty Berserkers be taking so much damage from just 4 dragons? He patted his dragons head.

"Looks like we'll have to take care of this ourselves." He growled.

Dagur turned toward the alliance fleet, but was quickly sidetracked when a fiery stream passed just in front of him. He looked up just in time to see 2 women on a Nader diving at him.

"So they want to play, do they!" he snarled, dodging another blast. He turned his dragon and fired a lightning blast at the Nadder.

But the fast moving Nader dodged the shot. The 2 dragons tore up the sky as they battled, lightning and fire flashing in all directions. The Skrill was a fast, maneuverable and powerful dragon. The Nadder was more maneuverable, but didn't have the firepower of the Skrill, owing mainly to its limited shot count. The second rider on its back however, didn't have such a limitation.

"Wow!" Anna exclaimed as she fired another round of fireballs. "This guy's good!"

"Yah! Too good!" Astrid replied, dodging another lightning bolt.

Dagur laughed out loud. "You girls have some skills. It's a shame to have to kill you. But, that's how it goes."

But Dagur stopped laughing when Anna fired another shot that passed right between the horns on his helmet. "Ok. Now its getting personal!" he bellowed, charging at his attacker.

From her seat on the Night Fury, Elsa surveyed the scene. And it was an incredible sight. On the sea surface, Berserker ships were broken, burning and sinking. A black cloud of smoke rose from the wrecks high into the sky. There didn't seem to be any more to do as the other Riders joined Hiccup and herself, hovering above the carnage.

"Wow! What a mess!" Fishlegs commented.

"Yah!" Tuff replied. "It's so beautiful."

"Brings a tear to my eye." Ruff added.

Hiccup asked, "Did we miss anything?"

"Are you kidding?" Snotlout replied. "There's no way anything could have survived that!"

Elsa noticed 4 ships still afloat. "I think we missed a few." She said, pointing towards them.

"I think the alliance has those ones covered." Hiccup pointed out, as cannonballs could be seen raining down on the remaining Berserkers.

Elsa giggled. "Good point." Then her face went serious. "Now. Where's Astrid and my sister?" They scanned the sky.

"THERE!" Tuff hollered, pointing.

Far off in the distance, they could see 2 dragons in a fierce arial dogfight. White lighting shooting from one, orange fire streams from the other. And it looked like the one shooting the lightning had the advantage.

"Hiccup," Elsa growled, "Get me in there! My sister needs us!"

Hiccup wasted no time obeying the order. "Riders! Let's go put Dagur in his place!"

Astrid, Anna and Stormfly weaved through the sky with an angry Berserker and his dragon hot on their tail. Anna launched fire streams back at Dagur, but he dodged her shots. Dagur shot lightning bolts at Astrid and Anna, but Astrid evaded. Shot after shot flew back and forth as the 2 combatants tried to take each other out.

"Can't you aim better!?" Astrid yelled at Anna

Anna yelled back. "How am I supposed to aim with you jerking back and forth like that?"

"Maybe you'd rather get zapped? Believe me! It's not fun!"

Another bolt streaked past them. Astrid swerved, but one small tendril of energy reached out, grazing Annas arm. The sudden searing pain made her scream so loudly that even Dagur heard it.

"Ha Ha!" he cheered. "First blood to me!"

Anna held her injured arm. Astrid looked back to her. "How bad is it, Anna?" she asked.

Anna gritted her teeth. "I think it's just a burn. But I can't move my arm!"

"That's the shock effect." Astrid replied. "It'll pass in a few hours. Can you still shoot?"

Anna replied, "I still have one good arm!"

She turned back towards Dagur, trying to line up a shot. But her target suddenly disappeared in a fiery burst. It took a moment for her to realize that Dagur had been hit broadside by a dragon blast. She quickly searched the sky. And what she saw made her cheer so wildly that she almost fell off Stormfly.

"THE RIDERS ARE HERE!"

Snotlout, Fishlegs and the Twins dove on Dagur, while Hiccup brought Toothless alongside Stormfly, Elsa immediately noticing that Anna had been hit.

"Anna! You're hurt!"

Astrid replied, "But she's still in one piece, as promised!"

"I'll be ok, Elsa." Anna winced. "It's just a burn."

But Elsa saw otherwise. "No, you need to have that looked at. Astrid, you've both done great, but we'll take it from here. Get Anna back to the flagship."

Astrid nodded. Before Anna could object, Stormfly banked hard and headed for the alliance fleet.

Hiccup turned Toothless toward the fight, only to see Dagur and his Skrill getting tag teamed by 3 dragons at once. Fishlegs screamed out "GALE FORCE GRONCKLE!" and Meatlug spun, her tail bashing the Skrill over and over. Then Hookfang blasted it with a fire blast. Dagur and his Skrill hovered a moment, trying to shake off the attacks. But Barf and Belch slammed them from below. Dagur screamed in frustration as his dragon struggled to stay aloft.

Elsa decided that now was the time to finish this. "Now Hiccup!"

Toothless put on full speed directly for Dagur. Dagur could see the Night Fury charging at him, but his stunned dragon wasn't obeying his commands. All he could do was watch as Hiccup and Elsa approached, until they were close enough for him to see the hatred in Elsas eyes. He, like everyone else, expected her to freeze him solid. But that's not what happened.

"THIS IS FOR MY SISTER!" Elsa screamed.

Toothless suddenly rolled over, flying inverted above Dagur, and Elsas fist landed squarely on Dagurs mouth as they passed. Dagur fell backwards off the Skrill, spitting teeth, and plummeted to the sea below. The now riderless Skrill had had enough, turning away and flying off into the mid evening sun. The Riders let it go, since it was no longer a threat to them. Regrouping, they cheered victoriously.

"OH YA, ELSA!" Snotlout cheered, "That was an awesome punch you planted."

"Thanks. Something I learned from Anna." Elsa smiled, rubbing her hand.

"Speaking of Anna," Hiccup commented, "We should probably get back to the fleet to make sure she and Astrid are ok."

Elsa agreed. Then the Riders turned and headed for the flagship. As they flew, Elsa eyed the sea. Debris and survivors bobbed on the surface, but no intact ships remained. Many thoughts ran through her mind. But one thought overpowered them all.

'I hope Anna's ok!'


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 15

Elsa and the Riders could hear the last cannon shots as they made their way back to the alliance fleet. From their vantage point high in the air they could see that the alliance had taken some damage in the fight, but thankfully all 256 ships were still afloat. A testament to the skill and power of the allied kingdoms. The Berserker fleet however was a total loss. Not a single ship of Dagurs thousand ship fleet had survived, and the sea was filled with debris. And angry Berserker survivors. Elsa could hear them cursing at her and the Riders as they flew over.

10 minutes later they were circling the flagship, the crews of all ships cheering at their triumphant return. Each dragon took its turn to land so as not to crash into each other on approach. Hiccup and Elsa waited above until the Twins, Snotlout and Fishlegs were safely on deck, then made their approach. Touching down on the deck, Elsa was relieved to see Anna running towards them, her arm in a sling and a huge smile on her face. She wasted no time. Jumping off Toothless, she ran to her sister and wrapped her arms around her.

"I was so worried, Anna!" she said, "Are you alright?"

"I'll be ok." Anna replied happily. "Doc says my arm will come back to normal in a few hours, once the shock effect wears off. But look at this!" She pointed to the bandage around her upper arm and grinned. "2nd degree burn. It'll heal, but I'm gonna have a battle scar, like you."

"Looks like it'll be a nice one too." Astrid added, smiling.

But Elsa turned and walked to the front rail. Once there, she stared out at the sea. Anna came over and saw what her sister was watching. The sea was still alive with activity. Berserker survivors clung to whatever they could find that floated. And the north seas natural residents, which had been attracted by the commotion, were now feeding on Berserkers. Sharks, Orcas and other creatures they couldn't identify could be seen plucking down the survivors one by one.

"Elsa. We have to help them." Anna noted.

But Elsa replied sadly. "We can't."

Anna was confused. "What do you mean we can't? We can't just leave them out there to die!"

Hiccup put a hand on her shoulder. "Anna. Elsa's doing the right thing. Let me explain."

Anna, and everyone else on deck, stood silent as Hiccup explained.

"First off, there are thousands of angry Berserkers out there. Even if our ships had the space to hold that many prisoners, what chance would we have containing that many angry warriors? But more importantly is that they wouldn't want to be rescued. As things are they will die in battle, which is honorable even to them. To be rescued now would be an unbearable disgrace. And they would try to kill us for trying. It's not logical, but it is their way."

Somehow, Hiccups words made sense to Anna.

Hiccup continued. "Elsa is doing the right thing now. Notice how she is standing tall, watching as each man is taken by the sea?"

Anna hadn't noticed before. But now she saw that Elsa stood with her head held high, her gaze never wavering from the carnage before her. Even though her eyes were filling with tears.

"She's honoring the men who've fallen in battle." Anna said, her voice shaky.

"That's right." Hiccup replied. "The Berserkers out there will see this as a sign of respect. In our culture, such a sign is a guaranteed pass to Val Halla, the viking afterlife. She's sending them off with honor, no matter how hard it is for her."

Anna said nothing more. Instead she stepped to her sisters' side, her eyes locked to the sea ahead. They were then joined by all the Riders, then as many of the ships crew as would fit on the forward deck. And for nearly a full hour they watched, until the last Berserker warrior was claimed by the sea. Then Elsa wiped her eyes and turned to the captain.

"Notify the fleet," she said sadly, "to set course for Arendelle immediately."

The captain saluted. "Aye Aye your majesty."

Hiccup spoke. "Um, your majesty. We should probably head back to Berk and report in. It's a closer flight from here than Arendelle."

"If you think it best." Elsa replied. "But may I ask a favor of you and the Riders?"

Hiccup smiled. "Feel free."

"We'll arrive at Arendelle in 2 days, then it'll take another 2 days to arrange and set up the victory celebration. Anna and I are hoping you and the Riders will be there."

Hiccup smiled. "Arendelle in 4 days? We can do that. And on behalf of the Dragon Riders of Berk, it would be an honor."

Elsa smiled. "The honor would be mine. And on behalf of Princess Anna, myself and all of the allied kingdoms, thank you for all your help, my friends."

With that, the Riders said their goodbyes to Elsa and Anna, mounted their dragons, and headed for home. Elsa and Anna watched them go until they were beyond sight.

"Elsa," Anna stated, "I'm really proud of you. For how you handled things earlier. If I had been the one to make the call, we might still be fighting off angry Berserkers."

Elsa smiled. "Thanks. But I'm sure Hiccup would have corrected you. Then you would have made the right choice."

"Maybe. But I'm still glad it was your call and not mine."

Elsa laughed. "He he! I'm sure you are."

Both smiled and went below for some supper.

Floating amongst the debris of the lost Berserker armada was a wooden barrel. It had probably contained ale or fruit or fish at some point. But now it contained one very angry viking.

Dagur glared across the sea at the alliance fleet as it sailed away from him. He had watched as his mighty Skrill abandoned him, and as his men were claimed by the sea. His hatred for the loss of his entire clan boiled within him, and he placed full blame not on the allied kingdoms, but squarely on the shoulders of 2 women. Through burning eyes and missing teeth he growled,

"Sisters of Arendelle, I will have my revenge!"


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 16

4 days had passed since the Sisters of Arendelle, the Dragon Riders of Berk and the Allied Kingdoms had obliterated the Berserker clan. And yet Elsa felt that had been an easy task compared to preparing for the victory ceremony and ball. So many worthy men, so many honors to mention, so many medals to award. But her mind was stuck on 6 individuals whom she hoped would be there to receive their honors. Hiccup had said they would, but she knew plans can easily change when so many depend on you. Still, she kept hope alive as she went over her honors list. Until the sound of her door opening broke her concentration.

"Haven't you memorized that list yet?" Anna jested.

"Oooh! If I see one more new honor name, everyone's getting ice cubes!" Elsa joked. "How's the arm doing?"

Anna flexed her arm. "All better! Except for the burn. But Doc wants me to keep it uncovered for a while to let it heal better."

"It looks nasty." Elsa commented. "Does it still hurt?"

"A little. But nothing I can't manage."

"You're just happy about the scar it's gonna leave." Elsa quipped, "I swear you've become more viking than you think."

"Um..About that. "Anna asked, "Have you given any more thought about joining the Hooligans?"

Elsa smiled. "Actually I have. And as appealing as it would be, I think we're best to stay where we are."

"Are you sure?" Anna asked her. "It seemed like such a good idea at the time."

"Yes it did. And it still does." Elsa explained. "But the fact is that Berk already has the Dragon Riders to protect it. You and I are all Arendelle has. What would happen if we left?"

Anna thought for a moment. "Hmm. I hadn't thought of that."

"And could you really walk away from Kristoff? Let's be honest. He's tough, but he wouldn't last 5 minutes as a viking." Elsa added.

Anna put her hands to her cheeks. "OOOH! I can't believe I didn't consider that! He's way too sensitive for the viking life. And I couldn't just leave him behind!"

"Exactly!" Elsa stated. "And as much as I'd love to toss my crown again and go live in the wilds, in my heart I know I can't abandon Arendelle. We have our place in this world. And it's right here where we're needed."

Anna slumped her shoulders. "You're right. But I was looking forward to seeing Berk again."

"You will." Elsa giggled. "I don't think Stoick will mind us coming to visit now and then. Besides, where else will our battle scars be so appreciated?"

Both girls broke out laughing.

A few hours later Elsa and Anna stood before the delegates and captains of the Allied Kingdoms in the main ballroom. The time Elsa had been dreading had arrived. The victory ceremony. Now she had the honor of bestowing medals on the men who deserved recognition for their contributions to the success of the North Sea Campaign. And there were so MANY that did.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the Allied Kingdoms, welcome to Arendelle." She began. "7 days ago we all banded together with a common goal. To free the North Sea from the tyranny of the infamous Dagur the Deranged, the leader of a clan of fierce viking warriors known as the Berserkers. This clan of renegades was hijacking trade ships from all of the allied kingdoms and adding them to their armada. We, with the assistance of the Dragon Riders of Berk, sought out the lunatic viking. And by working together we sent his powerful dragon fleeing into the sunset and his thousand ship armada to the bottom of the North Sea, with minimal damage and zero loss to our own fleet!"

The crowd cheered loudly.

"Yes everyone! We have great reason to rejoice this day. And we shall, I promise. But first there are many noble warriors who have earned special recognition for their efforts. When Director Kristoff calls your name, please step forward."

One by one, Kristoff called the names of the distinguished, Anna handed them a commendation or pinned a medal on them and Elsa offered Arendelles thanks.

For 3 hours straight. Kristoffs voice was starting to crack. Annas fingers were starting to callous from the constant medal pins sticking her. And Elsa had repeated 'Arendelle thanks you for your outstanding service' so many times that it was now coming out automatically. Elsa and Anna both saw Kristoff turn the last page on his list and breathed a quick sigh. Almost done. But between awards Elsa kept looking towards a small box of medals she had commissioned herself. She had hoped the warriors she made them for would be here, but Kristoff had made no mention of them to her or Anna.

Finally Kristoff announced to Elsa and Anna, "That completes the list, your majesties."

Elsa stepped back to the podium and began to speak, but a familiar booming voice rose from the crowd. "HOLD PLEASE, YOUR MAJESTY!"

As Elsa and Anna watched, the crowd parted in the center of the room, revealing the massive form of the aptly named Stoick the Vast. The sisters fought to contain their pleasure as he made his way down the aisle, stopping and bowing in front of them.

"Your majesties," he said elegantly, "my apologies for our tardiness. I'm afraid it has taken my people a little longer to prepare than expected."

"Prepare?" Anna asked

Stoick winked at Kristoff, who returned with a thumbs up sign. "Your graces, see for yourself."

At Kristoffs signal, the valet opened the doors and called out.

"MASTER HICCUP HORRENDOUS HADDOCK III AND LADY ASTRID HOFFERSON OF BERK!"

All eyes, including the Sisters, went wide as Hiccup and Astrid entered the room. Hiccup was dressed in a burgundy suitcoat with gold adornments, black pants and, to Elsa and Annas surprise, 2 mirror shined boots. And on his arm was Astrid. Her hair was styled up, showing diamond stud earrings and an ornate diamond necklace, and she wore an elegant deep green strapless ball gown that went to the floor, revealing only hints of her gold high heel shoes. As they walked down the aisle towards the queen and princess they held their heads high, maintaining a regal form to rival any nobleman. At the front of the room they took their place to one side. Then the valet called out again.

"MASTER SNOTLOUT JORGENSON OF BERK!"

Snotlout strutted in, sporting a similar outfit to Hiccups, but in a deep purple. And his normally scuffed hair was neatly coiffed and tied back in a ponytail. He too made his way to the front in complete regal style.

"MASTER TUFFNUT THORSTON, AND HIS SISTER, LADY RUFFNUT THORSTON OF BERK!"

Tuffnut was wearing a royal blue suit like the others, his hair also neat and tied in a ponytail. Ruffnuts hair was styled so that it hung neatly down her back, and her flowing yellow ball gown glittered with sequins as they walked.

"MASTER FISHLEGS INGRAM OF BERK!"

Fishlegs had a unique body form, making traditional attire rather difficult. Even so, the ruby red gold adorned tunic, black pants, shined dress shoes and neatly coiffed hair made him seem far more nobleman than viking. But he still couldn't hide his shyness as he walked to the front.

With all the Riders now standing before the podium, they all bowed and in unison said, "Your Majesties!"

Elsa and Anna were completely amazed. Could these really be the same brash people they had come to know and love? They wanted so much to compliment the Riders on their incredible transformation. But now was not the time.

"Dragon Riders of Berk," Elsa began, "In recognition of your fine service to the kingdom of Arendelle and its allies, it is my honor to bestow upon you Arendelles highest honor. The Star of Arendelle."

As Elsa stood at the podium, Anna moved from one to the next, pinning the medals to their outfits. As she did, she fought herself to keep protocol and not engage them in conversation. Luckily for Anna, 'Thank you, your highness' was all they said to her. After she pinned the medal on Fishlegs, she retook her place beside Elsa.

"Dragon Riders of Berk," Elsa announced smiling, "Arendelle thanks you for your outstanding service!"

The room erupted in cheers and applause. But Elsa raised her hands and the room silenced.

"The Riders of Berk have also earned another honor. When this campaign was first conceived, we knew nothing of vikings beyond rumor and hearsay. We asked Berk for information, and Berk sent us these fine people."

She looked to the Riders.

"Riders. When this battle was being planned, the alliance initially wanted to leave the whole thing on Princess Anna and myself. But even though Berk wasn't a member of the alliance, you stood beside us. This is a gesture that neither of us will ever forget. And for the record, Queen Elsa and Princess Anna of Arendelle are proud to identify the Dragon Riders of Berk as good friends."

More cheering from the room. Elsa nodded to Anna, who then picked up the small box beside her and opened it. Contained within were 6 diamond encrusted snowflake shaped medals.

"The newly commissioned Queens Snowflake medal is presented to those who earn the queens personal gratitude in the performance of their service. And it is my great pleasure to personally award these honors to the Dragon Riders of Berk!"

The Riders stood proudly as Elsa approached each one, pinned the medal to their outfit and kissed their cheek. Which went well until Elsa got to Fishlegs. When Elsa kissed his cheek, the soft hearted viking fainted. The room went dead silent.

Then Anna joked aloud, "This is why you're still single, Elsa. You're too hard on men!"

Everyone, noble and viking alike, broke out in uncontrolled laughter.


	18. Chapter 18

Epilogue

With the honors ceremony complete, it was time to celebrate their victory. The courtyard had been turned into a ballroom, owing to the large number of guests this evening. It was however, a perfect setting. Torches lined the walls, and the early evening glow of the sky made a perfect ceiling. Tables had been set up along the east wall, and had been filled with all sorts of confections from fruits to cakes to chocolate. Another table had an ample supply of meats and cheeses. There was something for everyone, even a generous amount of viking ale for those brave enough to drink it. And surprisingly, it was appearing to be a rather popular option by vikings and nobles alike.

The party was well underway when Queen Elsa and Princess Anna arrived, as was customary for royal gatherings. One by one the dignitaries greeted them, and they were surprised to note that most of them were more interested in discussing their viking guests than the battle. The Sisters gladly shared their experiences with them, and smiled often as the dignitaries would excuse themselves to go speak with the Riders. From what they could see, the vikings of Berk had been well accepted by the alliance. And Elsa couldn't be happier for that.

Anna and Elsa found themselves standing alone at last. Now was their chance to join the group that had gathered around Hiccup and his team.

"OH MY GOSH!" Elsa exclaimed as she walked up to the Riders. "Is this really the same group of brash, vulgar barbarians we came to know, love and fight beside over the past week!?"

"Can't be!" Anna added jokingly, "We're the only ones with magic in this region. And I don't think even we could have pulled this off!"

Everyone laughed in response to the Sisters quip.

Hiccup chuckled. "If that's true then your palace staff have greater magic than you do."

"The staff did this?" Anna said gesturing.

"Yep!" Astrid replied. "We got here yesterday morning, and asked Director Kristoff if he could help us to fit in better today. He handed us over to a group of people that taught us everything from basic protocol to how to waltz. Even threw together these cool outfits. It's not too much, is it?"

"You all look absolutely stunning!" Elsa answered.

The Regent of Zaria added, "The Queen is correct. If we hadn't known you to be vikings now, no-one would have guessed. You've certainly dispelled much of the rumor surrounding what little we know of your people."

"Agreed." Ambassador Ingstram added. "When I report back to King Gregor, I'm sure he'll wish to meet you himself. You may have become very popular amongst the alliance kingdoms."

"Um..forgive me for asking, Master Hiccup," the Princess of Alexandria asked, "but did you not have only one foot before now?"

Suddenly everyone looked at Hiccups feet. Sure enough he had 2 boots on. Hiccup smiled.

"Arendelles engineers came up with an attachment that looks more like a normal foot so I could wear both boots. I'll admit it does look great, but it's a bit of a hassle to fly a dragon with."

Fishlegs joked, "We just won't mention it to Gobber. He made Hiccups replacement leg and might take it personal that he didn't think of this." Everyone got a giggle from that.

"The changes you've made are amazing!" Elsa commented, "But why would you go to such lengths to be like us?"

"Because you did it for us." Ruff replied. "You both totally embraced the viking ways to understand us,"

"So it was only fair that we did the same for you." Tuff finished.

"So how do you like the royal life?" Anna asked.

A waiter presented a tray of wine glasses, from which everyone took a glass.

Sipping her wine, Astrid commented, "Oh, I could get used to this!"

Everyone in the group raised their glasses to Astrids comment. Elsa and Anna giggled.

Then Hiccup exclaimed, "Oh! Before I forget, we have a present for you."

"For us?" Elsa questioned

Hiccup picked up a small box with the Dragon Academy emblem on it. Holding it in front of him, Astrid took something out of a compartment on the side of the box and handed it to Anna. Taking the object Anna commented dryly.

"It's a fish."

Hiccup then opened the box, and a tiny head with big eyes popped out. It looked around and, spotting the fish in Annas hand, a tiny dragon jumped up on her shoulders. The nobles jumped back in surprise as Anna cringed.

"Feed him." Astrid told her.

She held the fish to the dragon and it scarfed it down. Then it cuddled against Annas neck and started purring. Low awes came from the crowd as Anna pet its neck.

"Oh my! He's adorable! What is he?

"He's what we call a Terrible Terror." Hiccup explained. "In packs they live up to that name. But individually they're loyal, loveable and trustworthy creatures. We've been training them to deliver messages over long distances, the way you use birds. And this one knows the route between here and Berk."

Elsa lit up. "So he could get a message to you much faster than Trader Johann."

"Exactly." Hiccup replied, "6 hours instead of 3 days."

Anna batted her eyes at Elsa. "Can I keep him, Elsa? Please!"

Elsa smiled. "I can't think of a more perfect pet for someone with fire powers than a dragon. But if he's going to stay in the castle you'll have to care for him. And he'll need a proper name."

"I've already got one." Anna grinned. "I'll call him Phoenix."

"Now that's a fitting name for a dragon!" Stoick said, coming up behind them. He then bowed before Elsa, holding out his hand. "Would your majesty do me the honor of this dance?"

Elsa smiled brightly and took his hand. "The honor would be mine, Chief Stoick." They both nodded to the group and made their way to the dance floor. Without the formalities, Hiccup and Astrid also went to the dance floor, followed by others from the group.

Anna turned back to the group, only to find she was alone. Fishlegs had gone to the buffet table. Tuffnut was having a conversation with the Reagent of Calair. Ruffnut was dancing with the Prince of Jolinar. And Kristoff was tied up with keeping the wait staff and valets organized. This was an awkward position for a princess to be in. Standing alone at a party with a dragon on her neck.

"Your highness." a familiar voice said. Anna turned and smiled. "Oh! Hi Snotlout. Enjoying the party?"

"It's pretty cool." Snotlout replied. "Nothing like the parties on Berk, but still cool."

"Oh, I believe you." She replied. "I can't wait to try partying like that again. I only hope I can remember it next time."

They both laughed at that comment. Then Snotlout went serious.

"Um.. Your highness. I know I kinda made a bad first impression, and I was wondering if you might be willing to give me a chance to change that."

Anna was taken aback by his respectful tone. "What did you have in mind?"

Snotlout then surprised her again by extending his hand and bowing.

"Would your highness do me the great honor of granting me a dance?"

Anna stood shocked for a moment. Even Phoenix stared at him.

Then Anna smiled. "Master Snotlout, the honor would be mine."

She took his hand. As they walked to the dance floor, Snotlout commented, "Oh. By the way, that's going to be one awesome scar."

Anna smiled proudly.

"So you figured out where you belonged, did ya." Stoick commented to Elsa as they danced.

"I'm afraid so. Not that I wasn't tempted, but I can't help thinking what would happen to Arendelle without us."

Stoick smiled. "And that is what makes you a great queen. You care for your people, and they care for you. You can't get better than that."

"But Anna and I would like to visit Berk every now and then. Just to change the scenery a bit. If that would be acceptable to you of course."

From behind his thick beard Elsa could see his smile beaming. "I would love that very much. In fact our winter holiday, that we call 'Snogletog', is in 3 months. It's one party you simply can't miss. I'll even send the riders to bring you and Anna up."

"That sounds great!" She replied. "I'm sure Anna would love to...OH MY!"

Stoick and Elsa stared for a moment.

"Can you believe it?" Stoick exclaimed, "Snotlout and Princess Anna dancing a waltz?"

Elsa grinned. "Look at what we've done in the past week: flying on dragons; eating bugs; defeating a dragon riding maniac and sinking his thousand ship fleet, and dancing with the chief of a viking clan. After all that I can only think one thing."

"That anything is possible."


End file.
